BS2825 


DEC  SO  1920 


Division    BSl  ou5 
ion      .CI  55 


THE    SOCIAL    MESSAGE 

OF  THE 

BOOK    OF    REVELATION 

my 
RAYMOND  CALKINS 


THE  WOMANS  PRESS 

600  LEXINGTON  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK  CITY 


COPYRIGHT,   1920,  BY 

The  National  Board  of  the  Young  Womens  Christian  Associations 

op  the  United  States  of  America 

New  York 


TO  HER 

whose  Life  has  been  to  me  a 

Revelation 
of  Faith  and  Hope  and  Love 


lSurely  I  come  quickly.     Amen. 
Even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus." 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction ix 

CHAPTEB 

I    Purpose  and  Message 1 

II    Language  and  Style 10 

III  The  Ethical  Value  of  Apocalyptical  Prophecy    .  29 

IV  Outline  and  Contents 42 

V    The    Introduction    and    the    Messages    to    the 

Churches 49 

VI    The  Eternal  Background 69 

VII    Judgment  and  Salvation 79 

VIII    The  Sound  of  the  Trumpets 92 

IX    The  Second  Interlude 101 

X    The  Dragon  and  the  Beast 115 

XI    The  Beginning  of  the  End 131 

XII    The  Doom  of  Evil 146 

XIII    The  Blessed  Consummation 174 

Bibliography 191 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  Book  of  Revelation  is  one  of  the  least  used  and  least 
understood  books  in  all  the  Bible.  Every  Bible  reader  re- 
calls with  gratitude  a  few  chapters  at  the  beginning  of  the 
book  with  their  beautiful  promises  "to  him  that  overcometh" ; 
and  every  one  reads  a  few  chapters  at  the  end  of  the  book 
which  tell  of  the  heavenly  city,  the  new  Jerusalem,  where  there 
shall  be  no  more  curse  or  pain  or  death. 

But  the  book  as  a  whole  is  a  closed  book  to  all  but  a  small 
minority  of  Bible  readers.  To  most  people,  this  book,  with  the 
exception  of  the  chapters  to  which  I  have  referred,  is  a  jargon 
of  strange  figures  of  speech — a  fantastic  conglomeration  of 
beasts  with  men's  heads,  of  dragons  cast  into  fathomless  pits, 
of  serpents  casting  floods  out  of  their  mouths,  of  locusts  with 
the  hair  of  women  and  tails  like  scorpions.  It  is  a  vast  arena 
that  resounds  to  noise  of  battle  as  trumpets  sound,  and 
seals  are  broken  and  vials  are  emptied.  "To  most  people  its 
bizarre  imagery,  its  complicated  structure,  its  general  unin- 
telligibility  make  it  a  gigantic  riddle.  It  seems  to  them,  per- 
haps, to  form  a  strange  anti-climax  to  that  splendid  literature 
of  the  soul  which  preceded  it.  They  are  at  home  in  the 
Gospels  and  in  the  Epistles;  but  in  this  strange  world  of 
earthquake  and  eclipse,  of  fury  and  agony,  of  tramping  armies 
and  thundering  angel-music,  they  are  perplexed  and  repelled."  * 
Why  is  this  book  in  the  New  Testament  at  all?  What  does 
it  mean?     Does  it  mean  anything? 

If  anything  were  needed  to  complete  the  dismay  with  which 
the  average  Bible  reader  views  this  book,  it  is  supplied  by 
the  use  which  is   made  of  it  by  those  Bible  students   who 

1  Cairns,    Christianity    in    the   Modern    World,    pp.   216-217. 

ix 


x  Introduction 

claim  that  its  purpose  is  to  tell  us  about  the  end  of  the 
world,  the  physical  second  coming  of  Christ,  the  millennium, 
the  second  death  and  the  general  resurrection.  On  the  basis 
of  its  prophecies,  we  are  told,  we  can  figure  out  when  all 
these  events  will  happen,  for  the  book  contains  the  key  to  all 
these  mysteries.  But  because  the  doctrine  of  a  material  mil- 
lennium and  a  physical  second  coming  bewilders  and  repels 
more  people  than  it  illumines  or  attracts,  many  have  closed 
their  minds  more  firmly  than  ever  against  a  book  which  seems 
to  contain  such  teaching.  They  determine  that  they  will  let 
the  book  severely  and  altogether  alone.  Thus  it  has  come  to 
pass  that  one  of  the  most  inspired  and  inspiring  and  useful 
books  in  the  Bible  has  been  neglected  by  Bible  readers  and 
Bible  students.  It  has  no  place  in  their  everyday  Bible,  the 
Bible  which  they  use  for  the  support  of  their  own  souls,  or 
for  light  upon  the  pressing  problems  of  the  hour.  They  never 
turn  to  it  except  in  time  of  personal  bereavement.  They  think 
of  it,  if  at  all,  only  as  containing  beautiful  and  imaginative 
descriptions  of  Heaven,  and  promises  of  crowns  of  victory 
to  those  who  overcome. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Book  of  Revelation  is  one  of 
the  most  practical  books  in  the  Bible.  No  book  in  the  New 
Testament,  with  the  exception  of  the  Gospels,  contains  so 
much  inspiration  for  one  who  is  actively  engaged  in  a  daily 
struggle  against  evil  in  himself  and  in  the  world.  It  is  full 
of  help  for  all  who  are  wrestling  with  the  problem  of  evil  in 
any  form.  It  is  a  book  to  be  used  not  only  for  the  light  which 
it  throws  upon  the  future  life,  but  for  the  streams  of  light 
which  it  throws  upon  the  life  which  now  is.  It  is  not  pri- 
marily the  vision  of  another  world;  it  is  rather  a  trumpet-call 
for  courageous  living  in  the  present  world.  Especially  in  a 
time  of  rebuilding  such  as  the  present,  when  the  problems  of 
life  are  so  many,  its  burdens  so  great,  its  calls  to  service  so 
insistent,  the  real  message  of  this  book  is  needed  by  all  who 
hunger  and  labor  for  righteousness. 


Introduction  xi 

The  purpose  of  these  pages  is  to  set  forth  this  message 
of  the  Book  of  Revelation  clearly  and  briefly.  They  are 
written  with  the  general  reader  in  mind  as  well  as  Bible  stu- 
dents and  Bible  class  leaders.  They  offer  an  interpretation  of 
the  book  which  the  author  believes  to  be  its  underlying  mes- 
sage, and  one  which  is  perhaps  more  suited  to  the  present 
than  to  any  other  age  since  the  book  was  first  written.  It  is 
now  that  the  Book  of  Revelation  needs  to  be  read  and  under- 
stood. The  effort  has  been  made  to  suggest,  rather  than  to 
elaborate,  the  spiritual  lessons  of  its  chapters  and  to  indicate 
briefly  the  meaning  of  the  text.  There  has  been  no  attempt 
to  discuss  at  all  completely  the  many  Biblical  and  historical 
problems  involved.  For  these,  the  reader  is  referred  to  more 
competent  authorities.  The  idea  is  to  exhibit  the  one  simple 
and  wonderful  truth  which,  like  a  golden  thread,  runs  through 
all  the  chapters,  and  to  suggest  the  permanent  social  value  of 
that  truth  for  all  militant  souls  who  are  enlisted  for  life  as 
soldiers  of  the  cross  and  "followers  of  the  Lamb."  The  au- 
thor hopes  that  this  great  Bible  book  will  indeed  be  a  revela- 
tion of  heretofore  unrealized  and  unutilized  sources  of  faith 
and  inspiration  and  courage. 

The  indebtedness  of  the  writer  to  other  authors  has  been 
indicated  in  the  footnotes.  Special  acknowledgments  are 
due  to  Dr.  Beckwith  whose  admirable  recent  commentary 
has  furnished  many  of  the  Bible  references,  and  to  Dr. 
Porter  whose  volume  has  suggested  many  suggestions  in 
interpretation  and  in  the  paraphrases  of  the  text. 

Cambridge,  Massachusetts. 
March,  1920. 


SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE 
BOOK  OF  REVELATION 


CHAPTER  I 


PURPOSE  AND  MESSAGE 


THE  best  and  quickest  way  to  understand  any  book  is  to 
ask  why  and  when  it  was  written.  The  answer  to  these 
questions  makes  clear  to  us  the  purpose  and  the  message  of 
the  Book  of  Revelation.  This  book  was  first  written  to  meet 
an  extraordinary  emergency  in  the  life  of  the  early  church. 
It  was  written  to  inspire  a  church  beneath  the  Cross  and 
threatened  with  extermination  at  the  hands  of  the  Roman 
Empire.  The  church,  when  this  book  made  its  appearance, 
was  on  the  eve  of  a  life  and  death  struggle  with  Rome.  The 
signs  of  the  times  were  all  focused  on  a  fierce  contest  between 
rl  Christ  and  Caesar.  The  Book  of  Revelation  therefore  has  a 
great  historic  interest  for  the  student  of  the  New  Testament, 
in  that  it  marks  the  transition  from  the  earlier  tolerant  attitude 
of  Rome  toward  the  new  faith  to  its  later  implacable  hostility. 
Readers  of  the  epistles  of  St.  Paul  will  all  remember  that  he 
kept  appealing,  and  not  in  vain,  from  the  attacks  of  his 
Jewish  antagonists,  to  the  protection  of  the  Roman  governors 
and  magistrates.  More  than  once  these  officials  delivered  the 
Apostle  from  the  hands  of  the  Jews;  they  rescued  him  in 
Jerusalem  from  the  hands  of  an  angry  mob  intent  on  murder- 
ing him ;  from  his  prison  in  Palestine  he  appealed  unto  Caesar, 
and  he  urged  upon  his  converts  submission  to  Roman  rule 
and  authority.     (Rom.  13:1-5.) 

1 


• 


2      SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Thirty  years  after  his  death,  however,  all  this  was  changed. 
The  Roman  Empire  realized  at  last  that  the  Christian  faith 
was  challenging  its  authority  and  had  become  its  irreconcilable 
rival.  In  the  Book  of  Revelation  we  have  the  first  expression 
of  the  Christian  faith  as  it  asserted  itself  and  took  its  stand 
over  against  the  great  world  power  which  had  now  become  its 
outspoken  enemy.  It  was  inevitable  that  Rome  and  Christian- 
ity should  come  to  grips.  When  the  Book  of  Revelation  was 
written,  that  time  had  arrived.  "The  historical  background 
of  the  book  is  the  Roman  Empire,  and  especially  the  worship 
of  the  emperors  and  its  enforcement  in  Asia  Minor."  * 

During  the  reign  of  Domitian,  who  died  in  the  year  96  A.D., 
an  edict  had  gone  forth  that  his  subjects,  especially  in  Asia 
Minor,  should  worship  him  as  God.  All  students  of  Roman 
history  are  familiar  with  this  strange  and  almost  unbelievable 
cult  which  developed  in  the  later  days  of  the  Roman  Empire. 
Augustus  had  declined  to  be  thus  worshiped  in  Rome,  but  he 
had  encouraged  it  in  the  provinces,  probably  as  a  means  of 
knitting  them  more  firmly  to  the  Empire  and  to  the  Emperor. 
"It  was  not  meant  to  displace  the  nature  religions  but  to  have 
recognition  by  their  side,  in  a  more  or  less  close  relation  to 
them.  It  was  valued  by  the  emperors  as  an  effective  means  of 
Romanizing  the  empire  and  hence  was  furthered  especially 
where  Roman  culture  did  not  prevail,  and  in  the  Orient  where 
it  would  cause  least  offense.  It  was,  in  fact,  offensive  only  to 
monotheistic  faiths,  Judaism  and  Christianity,  which  could  not 
worship  God  and  Csesar.  In  general  the  Jews  fared  better 
than  the  Christians  during  this  period." a  Both  Caesar  and 
Augustus  had  granted  exemption  to  the  Jews  because  of  their 
numbers  and  because  of  their  well-known  aversion  to  idolatrous 
practices.  Rome  was  not  inclined  to  grant  these  privileges  to 
Christians.  During  the  reign  of  Nero,  this  policy  of  enforcing 
emperor-worship  in  the  provinces  had  steadily  grown.  It  was 
developed  by  Caligula;  but  it  came  to  its  climax  in  Domitian's 

1  See  Porter,  Messages  of  the  Apocalyptical  Writers,  p.  185. 
'Porter,  ibid.,  pp.  185-186. 


PURPOSE  AND  MESSAGE  3 

time,  in  Asia  Minor  where  the  earliest  Christian  churches  had 
been  planted.  There  for  the  first  time  it  was  proposed  that 
this  cult  should  be  enforced  by  law  and  backed  by  all  the 
power  of  the  Roman  government. 

We  have  no  details.  We  do  not  even  possess  the  wording 
of  the  edict.  But  we  have  the  facts.  Sometime  about  90  A.D., 
under  the  Emperor  Domitian  and  presumably  with  his  ap- 
proval, this  worship  of  the  Emperor  was  enforced  in  Asia 
Minor  by  the  priests  of  the  cult  and  the  governors  of  the  prov- 
inces. Only  the  Jews  were  to  be  exempt.  The  Orientals 
accepted  the  new  worship  with  enthusiasm.  There  was  left  to 
resist  only  the  little  and  apparently  helpless  band  of  Chris- 
tians. When  the  Book  of  Revelation  was  written,  that  was 
the  situation.  Rome  and  Christianity  were  at  last  face  to 
face. 

We  do  not  know  how  far  compulsion  had  already  gone 
when  the  book  was  written.  Presumably  there  had  already 
been  a  few  martyrdoms  (Rev.  2:13),  but  there  was  every 
reason  to  expect  a  general  persecution  of  the  church,  as 
Rome  set  itself  to  the  task  of  exterminating  Christianity.  To 
the  church  in  such  an  hour  of  peril  the  Book  of  Revelation 
is  addressed.  It  calls  on  all  who  have  named  the  Name  of 
Christ  to  be  faithful  to  the  end.  It  unfolds  vast  and  in- 
spiring visions  of  the  power  of  God  and  of  the  omnipotence 
of  Christ.  It  tells  of  the  deathlessness  of  his  saints  and  of 
the  certainty  of  victory.  It  predicts  the  downfall  of  Rome  and 
the  destruction  of  evil.  It  calls  on  Christ's  followers  to 
mobilize  to  meet  the  enemy;  to  fight,  to  endure,  to  suffer,  to 
die  for  the  sake  of  the  Name;  and  it  promises  to  all  who 
overcome  a  crown  of  life. 

If  we  understand  the  emergency  which  caused  the  book  to 
be  written,  the  interpretation  of  it  for  its  time,  for  our  time, 
and  for  all  time,  becomes  as  clear  as  daylight!  In  the  light 
of  this  explanation,  how  far  from  the  truth  becomes  that  use 
of  it  which  finds  the  chief  meaning  of  the  book  in  the  hints 
it  gives  us  about  the  wind-up  of  creation,  the  end  of  the  world, 


4      SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

and  the  nature  of  the  Last  Judgment!  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
there  is  only  one  chapter  that  even  appears  to  refer  to  these 
distant  and  mysterious  events.  To  use  Revelation  in  this  way 
is  to  abuse  it,  for  the  book  itself  makes  no  claim  to  be  a  key 
to  the  future.  "The  predictions  in  the  book  relate  to  the  im- 
mediate and  not  to  the  remote  future,  as  the  writer  most  ex- 
plicitly afl&rms"  (1:1,3;  22:10-12),  and  its  value  lies  "not 
in  disclosures  of  history  in  the  nineteen  following  centuries, 
nor  of  forecasts  of  still  future  events  .  .  .  ,  but  rather  in  its 
fitness  to  brace  the  Christian  faith  to  meet  one  of  the  great 
crises  of  its  history,  and  permanently  in  the  faith  that  in- 
spires it  in  the  rule  of  God  and  the  certain  victory  of  his 
cause."  We  must  put  out  of  our  mind  the  ideas  which  centuries 
of  misuse  have  caused  to  prevail  about  the  book.  The  beast 
is  not  the  Sultan  or  the  Pope  of  Rome  or  Napoleon  or  the 
Kaiser,  but  rather  Nero  and  the  Emperor  Domitian  whom  the 
Christians  had  been  commanded  to  worship.  The  harlot  is 
not  the  church  of  Rome,  as  certain  Protestant  writers  have 
declared,  but  rather  the  Roman  Empire  which  had  decreed  the 
death  of  all  who  failed  to  worship  its  head  as  God.  All  the 
conglomerate  figures  that  fill  the  book  are  the  hosts  of  those 
who  fight  either  on  the  side  of  the  beast  or  on  the  side  of 
the  lamb.  Here  we  have  the  "cry  of  the  Christian  heart  tor- 
tured by  the  pressure  of  the  Pagan  Empire."  Here  we  have 
Christian  prophecy  directed  against  contemporary  evil,  and 
designed  to  rescue  contemporary  Christianity  from  overthrow, 
to  inspire  it  to  resistance,  and  to  predict  its  victory  in  the  time 
in  which  its  author  lived. 

It  requires  no  great  gift  of  imagination  to  realize  what  such 
a  flaming  message  must  have  meant  to  that  church  beneath  the 
cross;  what  inspiration  it  brought  to  those  threatened  with 
death;  what  consolation  it  gave  to  those  whose  friends  may 
already  have  suffered  death  "for  the  sake  of  the  Name"; 
what  joy  it  yielded  to  those  who  read  these  horrific  descrip- 
tions of  how  their  persecutors  were  to  be  destroyed,  of  how 
wicked  and  cruel  Rome,  the  mother  of  abominations,  drunk 


PURPOSE  AND  MESSAGE  5 

with  the  blood  of  saints,  was  to  go  down  in  the  crash  and 
wreck  of  ruin  as  she  is  made  desolate  by  famine  and  plague, 
and  is  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  With  what  exaltation  of 
spirit  do  you  imagine  they  would  respond  to  that  vision  of  the 
Holy  City,  the  New  Jerusalem  coming  down  out  of  Heaven 
prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband;  or  read  of  that 
coming  day  when  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor 
crying,  when  the  former  things  are  passed  away? 

Such,  then,  was  the  particular  spiritual  emergency  which 
caused  this  book  to  be  written.  It  was  a  flaming  Tract  of 
Faith  for  Bad  Times.  It  was  intended  to  encourage  God's 
people  under  oppression  and  suffering.  Its  object  was  to  steel 
them  to  patience  and  endurance  by  the  presentation  in  vivid 
form  of  the  fact  that  overrides  all  other  facts,  that  the  Lord 
God  omnipotent  reigneth  and  will  come  with  a  recompense. 
Understand  the  crisis  which  called  this  book  forth,  and  its 
spiritual  value  becomes  clear  as  crystal.  In  the  flaming  up 
of  faith  in  the  hour  of  darkness  lies  the  wonder  of  Revelation. 
In  its  extraordinary  exaltation  of  spirit,  when  apparently 
there  is  no  rift  in  the  clouds,  nor  sign  of  hope  anywhere,  lies 
its  permanent  religious  value.  In  the  sheer  strength  of  its 
proclamation  of  victory,  when  nothing  but  defeat  and  death 
are  apparently  visible,  lies  its  claim  to  the  gratitude  and  love 
of  Christians  for  all  time. 

Such  a  book  could  not  possibly  end  its  mission  with  the  par- 
ticular circumstances  that  called  it  forth.  It  is  an  immortal 
appeal  to  fortitude  and  to  faith  whenever  and  wherever  evil 
threatens  the  good,  wrong  apparently  triumphs  over  right, 
and  the  children  of  God  are  overborne  by  the  forces  of  sin. 
All  through  the  centuries  of  Christian  struggle  this  has  been 
the  book  of  comfort  and  of  hope  for  the  witnessing  servants 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Centuries  later  when  the  growing  church  was 
in  its  final  death-grapple  with  the  Roman  Empire — a  struggle 
which  issued  in  a  far  greater  victory  than  even  the  seer  of 
Patmos  was  able  to  discern,  the  Christianization  of  Rome  itself 


6      SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

— this  book  above  all  others  sustained  the  courage  and  ani- 
mated the  faith  of  those  who  bore  witness  to  their  faith  with 
their  lives.  In  the  days  of  the  Reformation  when  thousands 
were  called  upon  to  die  for  the  liberty  of  conscience,  the  free- 
dom of  the  soul,  and  the  purity  of  faith,  no  part  in  the  Bible 
was  read  with  greater  fervor  than  this  inspired  book  which 
still  spoke  of  the  certainty  of  victory  and  the  triumph  of  the 
faithful.  More  than  one  Christian  martyr  had  died  with  the 
last  words  of  this  book  upon  his  lips :  "Surely  I  come  quickly : 
even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus."  And  to-day,  for  the  lonely  mis- 
sionary confronting  single-handed  and  alone  the  great  solid 
and  apparently  immovable  evils  entrenched  in  non-Christian 
civilizations,  for  the  social  worker  with  his  back  to  the  wall 
fighting  against  the  hosts  of  wickedness  in  high  places,  to 
the  individual  Christian  who  feels  the  hot  breath  of  evil  in 
his  face  and  does  not  know  how  he  is  to  overcome  it,  there 
is  no  inspiration  in  the  Bible  to  be  compared  with  that  of 
this  Book  of  Revelation. 

Days  like  those  in  which  we  live  are  the  very  days  for 
which  this  book  was  written.  A  time  such  as  the  present,  is 
the  time  for  Christians  everywhere  to  take  up  this  book  and 
read  it,  and  to  lay  its  true  message  next  to  their  hearts.  It 
is  sheer  tragedy  to  go  through  experiences  such  as  this  genera- 
tion has  known  without  the  spiritual  support  and  inspiration 
which  Revelation  can  furnish  us.  We  are  living  in  an  epoch 
that  corresponds  to  that  for  which  the  book  was  written.  Evil 
seems  to  be  on  the  throne.  The  destinies  of  the  world  are  at 
stake.  Cruelty  has  done  its  worst.  If  ever  people  needed 
bracing,  we  need  it  now.  If  ever  mankind  needed  the  mes- 
sage of  this  book,  it  needs  that  message  now.  "Fear  none  of 
these  things  that  thou  shalt  suffer;  behold  the  devil  shall  cast 
some  of  you  into  prison  that  ye  may  be  tried  and  ye  shall 
have  tribulation  ten  days;  be  thou  faithful  unto  death  and 
I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life."  Read  about  the  beast,  your 
beast  that  threatens  you  with  destruction,  and  read  how  the 
Lamb  on  the  throne  shall  overcome  him,  for  he  is  Lord  of 


PURPOSE  AND  MESSAGE  7 

Lords  and  King  of  Kings.  Listen  to  the  song  of  the  redeemed 
who  chant  their  psalms  of  deliverance  and  victory,  who  reign 
forever  and  forever,  and  remember  that  the  same  victory  is 
yours  if  you,  like  them,  will  be  faithful  to  the  end. 

The  book  contains  five  distinct  and  imperishable  spiritual 
messages  for  its  time  and  for  all  time. 

1.  It  is  an  irresistible  summons  to  heroic  living.  To  read 
Revelation  aright  makes  one  ashamed  if  he  has  not  thrown 
himself  body  and  soul  into  the  struggle  for  righteousness.  It 
is  the  most  militant  book  in  the  Bible.  It  tells  us  that  there 
is  no  place  for  a  neutral  in  the  everlasting  fight  between  God 
and  Satan,  the  Dragon  and  the  Lamb.  The  laissez-faire  Chris- 
tian will  feel  lost  in  this  book;  he  will  not  answer  to  its  mes- 
sage because  he  does  not  feel  himself  involved  in  its  issues. 
But  the  truly  militant  Christian  who  feels  that  his  own  life 
is  bound  up  with  these  issues,  simply  cannot  do  without  its 
appeal  to  fortitude  and  its  assurance  of  victory. 

2.  This  book  contains  matchless  appeals  to  endurance.  "Hold 
fast  that  which  thou  hast  that  no  man  take  thy  crown."  "Be 
ye  faithful  unto  death  and  I  will  give  you  a  crown  of  life." 
We  all  know  the  almost  hypnotic  effect  of  certain  phrases, 
the  strange  impression  they  produce  upon  the  psychology  of 
a  soul.  The  words,  "They  shall  not  pass !"  made  the  defenders 
of  Verdun  a  rampart  of  steel.  Precisely  this  is  the  influence 
produced  by  the  message  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  upon  those 
who  lay  it  to  heart.  Yielding  becomes  a  psychological  im- 
possibility. One  lays  it  down  and  says,  "To  doubt  would  be 
disloyalty,  to  falter  would  be  sin."  That  is  why  in  any  period 
of  discouragement,  such  as  the  world  is  now  experiencing, 
this  book  should  be  read  and  re-read.  It  can  contribute  im- 
mensely to  the  morale  of  mankind.  Moral  endurance  will  tell 
the  story  in  fateful  years  such  as  these.  The  reading  of 
no  literature  in  the  world  will  do  more  to  heighten  cour- 
age, hearten  faith,  steel  men's  souls  to  patience  and  to  the 
uttermost  limits  of  endurance  as  the  reading  of  this  old, 
neglected  Book  of  Revelation. 


8      SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

3.  This  book  tells  us  that  evil  is  marked  for  overthrow  in 
the  end.  Here  is  to  be  no  inconclusive  struggle,  no  stale- 
mate, no  peace  without  victory.  It  is  not  to  be  an  easy  or 
a  speedy  triumph.  Nothing  in  all  this  book  is  more  wonder- 
ful than  the  full  justice  that  is  done  to  the  powers  of  evil. 
Behind  their  manifestations  and  their  effects,  the  prophet 
goes  to  the  real  source  of  their  strength — to  Satan  and  his 
angels  who  have  for  a  season  all  power  to  make  war  upon  the 
servants  of  the  Lamb.  We  do  not  know  just  when  the  end 
may  be.  Satan  may  be  bound  for  a  while  and  then  break  loose 
again.  The  end  may  not  even  be  in  sight.  Victory  may  mean 
the  death  and  martyrdom  of  many  of  the  saints  of  Christ. 
But,  in  the  end,  the  powers  of  darkness  are  marked  for  de- 
struction. Whatever  else  evil  is  here  for,  it  is  here  to  be 
conquered.     It  is  not  Christ  who  is  going  to  be  defeated: 

And  the  beast  was  taken  and  with  him  the  false  prophet 
.  .  .  and  they  twain  shall  be  cast  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire 
burning  with  brimstone  and  the  remnant  were  slain  with 
the  sword  of  him  who  sat  upon  the  horse  whose  sword 
proceeded  opt  of  his  mcuth,  and  death  and  Hell  were 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  and  whosoever  was  not  found 
in  the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  And 
I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  and  the  holy  city 
of  the  new  Jerusalem  coming  down  out  of  heaven.  And 
I  heard  a  great  voice  saying,  behold  the  tabernacle  of 
God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  men,  and  they 
shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them 
and  be  their  God.     (Rev.  19:  20,  21;  20:  14,  15;  21:  1,  2,  3.) 

4.  It  gives  us  a  new  and  wonderful  picture  of  Christ.  Too 
long  has  the  picture  of  Christ  been  that  of  the  meek  and  lov- 
ing Jesus.  But  that  picture  cannot  stand  alone,  not  in  a 
world  like  this.  If  many  men  have  lost  faith  in  Christ,  it 
is  because  the  Christ  of  Galilee  has  seemed  to  them  to  be  too 
idyllic,  radiating  too  much  of  charm,  but  too  little  of  strength; 
a  gracious,  kindly  teacher;  a  guest  whose  garments  have  not 
known  the  stain  of  warfare  or  the  blood  of  struggle;  a  lover 
of  little  children;  a  compassionate  helper  of  the  sick  and 
the  sinful;  "a  being  of  extreme  gentleness  and  delicacy  and  of 
the  utmost  tolerance  and  subtlest  sympathy;  a  saint  of  non- 


PURPOSE  AND  MESSAGE  9 

resistance"1 — but  not  the  heroic  leader,  not  the  masterful 
champion,  not  the  all-conquering  Captain  of  our  salvation. 
Out  from  this  last  book  of  the  Bible  wherein  is  fought  the 
final  fight  of  faith,  there  emerges  the  picture  of  Christ  that 
is  adequate  to  the  uttermost  needs  of  his  suffering  and  strug- 
gling people: 

And  I  saw  the  heavens  opened,  and  behold  a  white  horse, 
and  he  that  sat  upon  it  was  called  faithful  and  true,  and 
in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war.  And  his  eyes 
were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head  were  many  crowns, 
and  he  was  clothed  with  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood,  and 
the  armies  which  were  in  heaven  followed  him  upon  white 
horses  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  clean,  and  out  of 
his  mouth  a  sharp  sword  goeth  that  with  it  he  should 
smite  the  nations,  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of 
iron,  and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and 
wrath  of  the  Almighty,  and  he  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on 
his  thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords. 
(Kev.  19:11-16). 

5.  Finally,  this  Apocalypse  reveals  to  us  the  fact  that  his- 
tory is  in  the  mind  of  God  and  in  the  hand  of  Christ  as  the 
author  and  the  reviewer  of  the  moral  destinies  of  men.  Here 
is  no  mere  evolutionary  theory  of  history;  here  is  no  mere 
idea  that  the  "thoughts  of  men  grow  broader/'  etc.;  it  is  no 
impersonal,  automatic  and  scientific  process  which  is  going 
to  toss  us  into  our  promised  land;  it  is  not  even  a  power  not 
ourselves  that  makes  for  righteousness.  The  Apocalypse 
rather  shows  us  God  at  work  behind  the  framework  which  we 
call  the  universe.  It  shows  us  Christ  as  the  maker  of  his- 
tory; it  looks  upon  Him  as  marching  on  in  the  glory  of 
his  strength,  putting  all  things  under  his  feet.  It  looks  upon 
moral  victory  as  his  victory,  and  sees  Him  standing  on  the 
field  of  history,  conquering  and  to  conquer,  only  not  yet  hath 
He  put  all  things  under  his  feet.  There  come  moments  in 
the  moral  life  of  men — and  who  shall  say  that  the  present 
age  is  not  one? — in  which  no  other  interpretation  of  his- 
tory will  suffice;  in  which  the  incarnation  itself,  and  nothing 
short  of  it,  will  serve  as  the  sure  basis  of  the  Social  Hope. 

1H.  G.  Wells,  God,  the  Invisible  King,  pp.  101,  102, 


CHAPTER  II 


LANGUAGE  AND   STYLE 


ONE  of  the  chief  reasons  why  the  modern  reader  feels 
lost  in  the  Book  of  Revelation  and  finds  himself  be- 
wildered and  dismayed  as  he  seeks  to  understand  it,  is  because 
of  the  language  in  which  it  is  written.  Its  style  is  not  only 
peculiar  but  it  seems  often  to  be  almost  repellent.  One  can 
make  nothing  intelligible  out  of  certain  passages,  as  for  ex- 
ample, the  twelfth  chapter  in  which  is  set  forth  a  woman  clad 
in  the  sun,  with  the  moon  under  her  feet,  giving  birth  to  a 
son  whom  a  great  red  dragon  is  ready  to  destroy — which  is 
cast  down  from  heaven  to  earth  where  it  continues  to  per- 
secute the  woman  and  her  seed.  What,  one  asks,  does  all  this 
mean?  Does  it  mean  anything?  Whence  this  imagery?  What 
religious  use  can  it  have  for  us  to-day? 

The  reader  of  the  Book  of  Revelation,  however,  would  not 
be  so  much  perplexed  by  its  language  if  he  were  more  familiar 
with  certain  other  portions  of  the  Bible  in  which  similar  lan- 
guage is  used.  What  we  need  to  remember  is  that  this  mode 
of  speech  which  seems  so  strange  to  us  was  not  strange  at  all 
to  the  first  readers  of  this  book,  and  would  not  be  strange  to 
us  if  we  knew  our  Old  Testament  better  than  we  do.  Nearly 
every  figure  of  speech  used  in  this  book  was  taken  bodily  out 
of  some  portion  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  locusts  and  the 
dragon,  the  beast  and  the  scarlet  woman,  the  tree  of  life,  the 
sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire,  the  horsemen,  the  harvesters 
— these  are  not  used  for  the  first  time  in  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lation. They  constitute  a  religious  dialect  that  was  familiar 
to  Jews  and  to  Jewish  Christians,  the  meaning  and  purpose 

10 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  11 

of  which  were  well  understood.  This  was  not  the  first  book 
of  its  kind;  it  would  be  much  truer  to  call  it  the  last.  The 
Book  of  Revelation  is  simply  what  may  be  called  the  Christian 
climax  to  a  kind  of  writing  which  had  had  a  history  extending 
over  five  hundred  years.  The  idea  of  a  beast  did  not  con- 
fuse the  first  readers  of  this  book  because  they  knew  that 
the  Book  of  Daniel  was  full  of  beasts  and  they  knew  what 
those  beasts  meant.  The  idea  of  locusts  with  the  hair  of 
women  and  the  tails  of  serpents  did  not  bother  them,  because 
they  knew  all  about  them  from  the  Book  of  Joel.  All  of 
the  imagery  and  strange  symbols  were  perfectly  intelligible  to 
them,  and  they  would  be  to  us  if  we  knew  our  Bibles  better. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  understand  this  language  and  to  feel 
familiar  with  it,  it  is  necessary  to  inquire  into  its  origin  and 
to  understand  why  it  was  used  and  what  meaning  it  was  in- 
tended to  convey. 

Now  all  readers  of  the  Old  Testament  are  aware  that 
prophecy  after  the  Exile  takes  on  a  new  form  and  a  new 
color.  Indeed,  the  Book  of  Zephaniah,  written  before  the 
exile,  may  be  said  to  mark  the  beginnings  of  apocalyptic 
prophecy.1  But  the  Book  of  Ezekiel  really  marks  the  transi- 
tion from  the  old  form  of  prophecy  to  the  new.  The  very 
opening  chapter  of  Ezekiel  reads  like  certain  passages  in  the 
Book  of  Revelation.  Here  we  have  cloud,  wind  and  fire,  four 
living  creatures  with  four  faces  and  four  wings,  a  chariot  with 
wheels  like  beryl,  a  throne  like  a  sapphire  stone  and  a  man 
on  it  with  the  likeness  of  the  glory  of  Jehovah.  Ezekiel,  in 
a  word,  reads  differently,  except  in  a  few  chapters  of  the  book, 
from  Amos  and  Hosea  and  Isaiah.  The  language  is  different, 
the  ideas  are  different,  the  tone  and  color  are  different.  If 
this  is  true  of  Ezekiel,  it  is  even  more  true  of  Zechariah,  and 
of  Joel,  and  above  all,  of  Daniel.  The  pages  of  the  prophets 
from  the  time  of  Ezekiel  on  are  increasingly  crowded  with 

1  See  Zeph.  1  :  14-18,  and  cf.  G.  A.  Smith.  "His  book  is  the  first 
tinging  of  prophecy  with  apocalypse."  Minor  Prophets,  Zephaniah, 
Chap.    III. 


12     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

figures  of  angels  and  archangels  and  all  the  heavenly  host, 
with  visions   and  fantastic   imagery. 

The  question  is,  What  caused  this  change  to  overtake  the 
language  and  ideas  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets?  The  an- 
swer, once  more,  must  be  found  in  the  historical  background 
of  these  post-exilic  prophets.  In  a  word,  it  was  the  Exile, 
that  prodigious  disaster  that  ruined  all  the  national  hopes  of 
the  Jews,  which  transformed  the  message  of  the  prophets,  and 
changed  the  character  and  purpose  of  their  writings.  Down 
to  that  time  prophecy  was  largely  ethical.  It  dealt  with  man's 
duties  to  God.  Its  refrain  was,  "What  doth  the  Lord  require 
of  thee'?"  It  consisted  of  exhortations  to  righteousness,  rebuke 
of  evil,  denunciation  of  national  sins,  and  promises  of  na- 
tional prosperity  based  on  moral  obedience  to  the  law  and  will 
of  God.  This  is  the  form  of  prophecy  with  which  we  are 
most  familiar. 

But  when  the  overthrow  of  Jerusalem  had  taken  place,  and 
the  people  were  confronted  with  apparently  fatal  and  irredeem- 
able disaster,  then  prophecy  changes  its  tone  and  form  to 
meet  the  emergency  and  to  satisfy  the  spiritual  needs  of  the 
people.  Now  it  was  not  a  question  of  what  man  should  do 
for  God,  but  of  what  God  could  do  for  man.  Now  was  not 
the  time  to  talk  of  man's  duty  to  God,  but  of  God's  duty  to 
man.  What  moves  the  heart  of  the  prophet  now  is  not  the 
conversion  of  the  people,  but  deliverance  from  trouble.  It 
was  not  the  reformation  of  the  people  but  salvation  by  the 
Most  High  that  inspired  prophecy  in  its  new  form.  During 
the  five  hundred  years  that  marked  the  humiliation  and  degra- 
dation of  the  Jewish  people  under  the  successive  tyranny  of 
Babylonian  and  Assyrian,  of  Persian,  Greek  and  Roman  con- 
querors, prophecy  lifted  its  voice  in  an  agony  of  appeal  to  the 
Ancient  of  Days,  to  the  omnipotent  God,  to  bare  his  arm 
in  the  sight  of  all  nations.  The  scene  of  prophecy  was  shifted 
from  earth  to  heaven.  Its  pages  were  filled  with  the  de- 
scription of  the  power  of  the  God  who  is  King  of  Kings 
and    Lord    of    Lords,    his    resources,    his    hosts,    his    anger, 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  13 

his  deliverance.  In  a  word,  we  have  the  revelation  of  omnipo- 
tent might  as  a  pledge  and  promise  of  victory,  given  to  the 
people  of  God  when  their  own  strength  was  exhausted,  their 
own  hope  had  vanished,  and  their  future  was  filled  with  the 
darkness  of  despair. 

We  understand  now  what  the  word  "revelation"  means.  It 
does  not  mean  a  revelation  of  the  future  mysteries  of  the  end 
of  the  world,  the  millennium  or  the  Day  of  Judgment.  Neither 
does  it  mean  primarily  a  revelation  of  the  glories  of  Heaven 
or  the  blessedness  of  the  redeemed.  Rather  it  means  a  revela- 
tion of  the  infinite  God,  mighty  to  save;  an  uncovering  for 
the  consolation  and  inspiration  of  God's  people  of  the  all- 
conquering  powers  of  an  omnipotent  Saviour.  Thus  under- 
stood, the  word  Revelation  or  Apocalypse  is  used  of  all  this 
type  of  prophetic  literature. 

It  is  not  difficult,  when  the  underlying  idea  of  apocalyptic 
prophecy  is  grasped,  to  understand  its  style  and  vocabulary. 
The  writer  is  endeavoring  in  each  case  to  convey  to  the  reader 
the  impression  of  the  irresistible  resources  of  God  marshalled 
to  defend  and  to  deliver  his  people.  Evidently  this  impres- 
sion can  be  best  conveyed  by  the  use  of  highly  colored  and  pic- 
torial language.  Symbolism  is  thus  of  the  very  essence  of 
apocalyptic  thought.  All  of  the  seemingly  fantastic  imagery 
in  this  type  of  literature  is  simply  the  effort  of  the  human 
mind  to  portray  the  resources  of  God  on  the  one  hand  and 
of  evil  on  the  other.  It  is  the  description,  so  to  speak,  of 
celestial  munition  factories  and  of  the  mobilization  of  ethereal 
troops.  While  in  part  grotesque,  it  is  in  the  main  a  grandiose 
effort  of  the  human  mind  to  portray  in  pictorial  fashion  the 
contending  hosts  of  God  and  of  Satan,  of  the  beast  and  of  the 
Lamb.  Such  was  the  meaning  of  the  apocalypses  in  the  Bible 
and  out  of  it,  which  for  five  hundred  years  brought  unbroken 
inspiration  to  the  beleagured,  defeated,  discouraged  and  all 
but  despairing  children  of  God. 

It  should  be  remembered  also  that  such  symbolism  is  com- 
mon in  all  literature  outside  of  the  Bible  which  aims  at  the 


14    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

same  result  as  these  apocalyptical  Bible  books.  Milton,  for 
example,  in  his  Paradise  Lost,  uses  language  that  is  closely 
akin  to  that  of  Daniel  and  Revelation.  And  we  have  a  fine 
bit  of  apocalyptical  writing  in  the  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Re- 
public : 

"Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord, 
He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  where  the  grapes  of  wrath 

are  stored, 
He  hath  loosed   the  fateful   lightning  of  His  terrible  swift 

sword, 
His  truth  is  marching  on." 

Whenever  the  human  mind  endeavors  to  portray  the  divine 
power  and  wrath  in  its  onslaught  upon  sin  and  evil,  this  pic- 
torial language  will  be  used.  It  is  the  language  of  the  second 
Psalm  and  of  the  sixty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah. 

It  requires  no  argument  to  prove  the  inspiration  of  this 
kind  of  prophecy  when  its  meaning  is  once  understood.  Often 
it  is  treated,  even  by  serious  Bible  scholars,  as  prophecy  in 
decline;  as  an  inferior  or  second-rate  kind  of  literature,  not 
to  be  compared  with  the  fine  ethical  chapters  of  Amos  or 
Isaiah.  It  is  often  thought  of  as  fantastic,  grotesque,  or  even 
absurd.  The  tendency  is  to  skip  such  chapters  as  represent- 
ing a  kind  of  Jewish  thought  which  is  wholly  foreign  to  mod- 
ern thinking  and  modern  culture.  More  will  be  said  about 
this  in  the  next  chapter.  But  here  the  essential  and  wonderful 
inspiration  of  apocalyptical  prophecy  must  be  insisted  upon. 

Its  inspiration  is  seen  first  of  all  in  its  accommodation  to 
the  real  needs  of  the  people.  There  is  something  truly  won- 
derful to  the  thoughtful  Bible  reader  in  the  swift  way  in 
which  prophecy  makes  itself  over  in  the  interest  of  the  human 
soul.  It  cares  nothing  for  itself;  its  sole  concern  is  the  spirit- 
ual needs  of  men.  And,  as  we  have  seen,  no  kind  of  message 
was  more  calculated  to  meet  such  needs  at  the  time  these  books 
were  written  than  the  very  kind  of  message  which  they  em- 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  15 

body.  Ethical  exhortation  was  not  then  needed;  therefore  it 
was  no  longer  used. 

"I  believe  in  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible/'  Coleridge  once 
remarked,  "because  it  inspires  me."  If  we  judge  the  inspira- 
tion of  these  apocalyptical  books  by  this  test,  they  become 
among  the  most  inspired  books  in  the  Bible.  It  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  at  certain  crisis  hours  in  history,  the  books 
of  Daniel  and  Revelation  have  saved  for  the  world  the  faith 
of  the  Bible.  These  messages  evoked  such  a  response  of 
heroic  fortitude  and  endurance  from  the  hearts  of  readers, 
that  their  resistance  to  evil  became  like  adamant,  and  the  faith 
of  which  they  were  the  sole  and  apparently  helpless  defenders 
triumphed  over  what  seemed  insuperable  odds.  What,  the 
historical  student  may  well  ask,  would  have  become  of  the 
Bible  faith  had  it  not  been  for  the  naming  appeals  of  the 
apocalypses  ? 

Finally  the  inspiration  of  these  books  is  seen  in  the  faith 
which  they  themselves  enshrine.  Whence  came  the  assurance 
to  these  unknown  writers  that  God  was  ready  to  act  and  ready 
to  strike?  How  were  they  enabled  to  promise  sure  and  speedy 
victory  against  every  outward  appearance  and  probability? 
How  came  they  to  know  that  deliverance  had  been  provided 
and  that  salvation  was  near?  Who  caused  them  to  see  the 
counsels  of  the  Eternal,  and  to  reveal  the  infinite  passion 
and  power  of  an  omnipotent  Saviour?  What  made  their 
hearts  to  be  lifted  up  to  a  height  far  above  even  the  most 
courageous  and  daring  of  their  comrades?  The  answer  to 
these  questions  rests  in  the  spiritual  region  of  what,  for  want 
of  a  better  word,  we  call  the  inspiration  of  the  human  soul. 
It  means,  indeed,  the  very  entering  of  the  Spirit  of  God  into 
the  hearts  of  these  men,  enabling  them  to  see  what  the  eye 
of  man  could  not  see,  to  hear  what  ear  had  not  heard,  and  to 
understand  what  otherwise  would  be  impossible  for  the  mind 
of  man  to  conceive.  From  this  point  of  view  the  apocalypti- 
cal writers  become  the  most  inspired  of  the  prophets,  and  one 
finds  one's  heart  warm  with  ft  new  feeling  of  gratitude  and 


16     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

love  for  these  men  from  whose  souls,  in  the  darkest  hours 
of  Bible  history,  there  leaped  forth  the  faith,  the  knowledge, 
the  assurance  which  turned  defeat  into  victory  and  brought 
life  out  of  death: 

"Thrice  blest  is  he  to  whom  is  given 
The  instinct  that  can  tell 
That  God  is  on  the  field  when  He 
Is  most  invisible." 

What  has  here  been  set  down  concerning  apocalyptical 
literature  as  a  whole  may  best  be  illustrated  by  a  brief  survey 
of  the  Book  of  Daniel.  The  Book  of  Revelation  cannot  be 
understood  apart  from  the  Book  of  Daniel.  They  are  two 
parallel  books.  In  each  case  the  historical  background  is  the 
same;  the  purpose  is  the  same;  the  method  is  the  same;  and 
the  result  is  the  same.  In  order  to  understand  the  Book  of 
Revelation  it  is  necessary  that  we  first  understand  the  Book 
of  Daniel. 

The  Book  of  Daniel  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  im- 
portant books  in  the  Bible.  It  pulses  with  human  interest; 
it  throbs  with  spiritual  passion;  it  is  full  of  dramatic  spiritual 
appeal;  it  is  wonderful  in  the  faith  it  exhibits;  and  the  les- 
sons it  teaches  are  of  permanent  and  extraordinary  value. 
Yet,  like  the  Book  of  Revelation,  it  is  a  book  that  is  all  but 
neglected  by  the  rank  and  file  of  Bible  readers.  For  many 
people  the  first  six  chapters  are  all  that  they  know  of  the 
book.  These  chapters  contain  the  stories  of  the  heroism  of 
Daniel  and  his  friends  at  Babylon.  They  are  good  hero- 
stories  to  be  read  to  children,  but  Shadrach  in  the  fiery  fur- 
nace or  Daniel  in  the  lions'  den  do  not  convey  an  immortal 
truth  to  grown-up  readers  of  the  Bible.  Another  set  of  Bible 
students  fastens  on  the  last  six  chapters  of  the  book.  In  these 
visions  they  seem  to  find  a  key  to  the  mysteries  of  the  future. 
Upon  the  basis  of  these  chapters  they  figure  out  when  the 
world  will  end,  the  Anti-Christ  be  destroyed,  and  the  millen- 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  17 

nium  be  ushered  in.    Yet  neither  of  these  is  a  worthy  way  of 
using  one  of  the  grandest  books  in  the  Old  Testament. 

The  Book  of  Daniel  brings  us  down  to  the  very  end  of 
the  Old  Testament  era.  It  brings  us  to  the  very  threshold  of 
New  Testament  times.  It  was  probably  the  very  latest  of  our 
Old  Testament  books.  Its  scene  is  not  laid  in  Babylon  in  the 
time  of  the  Exile  at  all,  but  in  Palestine,  only  about  two 
centuries  before  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  period 
of  Jewish  history  which  called  it  into  being  was  one  of  the 
most  critical  in  all  the  chequered  history  of  the  Jewish  people. 
Once  more,  and  just  before  the  Prince  of  Peace  was  to  be  born, 
the  Hebrew  faith  was  confronted  with  a  trial  so  severe  that 
its  very  existence  was  threatened.  In  the  year  332  B.C.  Persia 
was  conquered  by  Alexander  the  Great,  and  the  succeeding 
two  centuries  of  Jewish  history  are  known  as  the  Greek  period. 
Now  the  Greek  invasion  was  unlike  the  Assyrian  and  the  Baby- 
lonian invasion  in  this  respect,  that  it  was  not  an  invasion 
of  armies  only,  but  of  ideas  as  well.  A  force  of  intellect, 
an  insidious  culture,  a  permeating  spirit  foreign  to  the  ideals 
of  the  Hebrew  people,  was  brought  to  bear  upon  them  with 
a  pressure  surpassing  any  that  the  Jews  had  hitherto  known. 
The  ancient  empires  had  transplanted  the  nation  to  Assyria 
and  Babylon;  the  Greeks  brought  Greece  to  Palestine.  Israel 
was  compassed  and  penetrated  by  an  influence  as  subtle  as 
the  atmosphere,  and  found  itself  infected  and  altered  beyond 
all  powers  of  resistance.  The  policy  of  Alexander  and  his 
successors  was  to  introduce  the  Greek  language,  Greek  cus- 
toms, Greek  culture,  in  all  conquered  territories.  Hellenism 
was  in  its  very  nature  a  permeating  and  transforming  force. 
Little  by  little  it  made  its  way  into  the  very  heart  and  citadel 
of  Hebrew  life.  The  Hellenist  Jews,  comprising  the  priests 
and  the  aristocracy,  began  to  speak  the  Greek  language,  adopt 
the  Greek  customs,  frequent  the  Greek  theatres,  take  over, 
in  a  word,  the  Greek  culture.  The  very  integrity  of  Hebrew 
faith  and  morals  was  threatened  by  this  subtle  and  apparently 
irresistible  invasion  of  Greek  civilization  and  ideals. 


18     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Of  course,  it  did  not  proceed  without  opposition.  Over 
against  the  Hellenists  who  favored  the  new  culture  were  the 
Chasidim,  the  conservatives,  those  faithful  to  the  ancestral  re- 
ligion and  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers.  Thus  the  issue  was 
joined.  How  it  would  have  ended  had  the  policy  of  the  peace- 
ful penetration  of  Greek  ideas  proceeded  it  is  impossible  to 
state.  Instead  of  this,  the  issue  was  suddenly  forced  in  a 
most  dramatic  and  unexpected  manner. 

About  198  B.C.,  a  Syrian  monarch  known  as  Antiochus 
the  Great  finally  succeeded  in  wresting  Judaea  from  the  con- 
trol of  Egypt.  His  son,  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  the  bright  and 
shining  one,  came  to  the  throne  about  twenty  years  later. 
He  had  long  lived  in  Greece  and  was  a  devotee  of  everything 
Greek.  One  of  his  ambitions  was  to  make  the  Greek  lan- 
guage, the  Greek  literature  and  the  Greek  culture  prevail  all 
over  the  East.  When  Judaea  became  a  part  of  his  dominions, 
he  determined  to  do  away  with  the  Jewish  religion,  and  to 
substitute  for  the  Sabbath  and  the  Law  and  the  God  of  the 
Jews,  the  altars  and  the  sacrifices  and  the  gods  of  Greece. 

About  the  year  170  B.C.,  we  come  to  the  climax  of  one 
of  the  grandest  epochs  in  the  whole  history  of  the  Jews  and 
to  one  of  the  turning  points  in  the  history  of  religion.  An- 
tiochus determined,  in  a  word,  not  to  wait  for  the  gradual 
fulfilment  of  his  plans,  but  to  accomplish  them  at  once  by 
the  use  of  force.  A  pagan  altar  was  erected  in  Jerusalem, 
on  the  site  of  the  Temple.  Sacrifices  were  made  to  Zeus, 
the  Temple  was  polluted,  the  people  were  compelled  to  take 
part  in  the  pagan  rites.  They  were  ordered  to  disregard  the 
Sabbath,  to  cease  from  reading  the  Law  and  the  prophets, 
and  death  was  the  penalty  for  refusing  to  obey.  Religious 
persecution  had  become  a  fact  for  the  first  time  in  Jewish 
history. 

At  first,  Antiochus  carried  all  before  him.  Many  of  the 
priests  and  most  influential  people  went  over  to  the  Greeks. 
By  fire  and  sword  Jerusalem  had  been  converted  into  a  heathen 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  19 

city.  Then  came  resistance  and  the  upleap  of  the  Jewish 
spirit. 

Twenty  miles  northwest  of  Jerusalem  is  the  little  town  of 
Modin  (or  Modina).  Here  lived  a  pious  Jew,  Mattathias, 
and  his  five  sons.  When  the  soldiers  came  to  enforce  the  rule 
regarding  heathen  sacrifices,  Mattathias  refused,  killed  the 
King's  officer  and  a  Jew  who  stepped  forward  to  offer  the 
sacrifices,  fled  with  his  sons  to  the  mountains  and  called  the 
people  to  war.  Hundreds  followed  him  and  then,  only  about 
a  century  and  a  half  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  the  last  great 
war  was  fought  to  save  the  Jewish  faith  from  destruction. 

This  war  is  known  to  history  as  the  Maccabean  war.  It 
has  been  so  called  from  the  name  given  to  the  most  famous 
of  the  sons  of  Mattathias,  Judas,  who  became  the  military 
leader  of  the  Jews,  and  one  of  the  great  generals  of  history. 
He  was  called  Maccabeus,  which  means  the  Hammerer.  With 
mere  handfuls  of  soldiers  compared  with  the  hosts  that  An- 
tiochus  sent  against  him,  he  conducted  a  guerilla  warfare  with 
such  skill  and  pertinacity  that  the  Syrians  were  beaten  off 
again  and  again,  until,  by  a  miracle  as  it  seemed,  Antiochus 
suddenly  died.  Judaea  and  all  its  precious  heritage  of  faith 
was  preserved  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
by  Him  fulfilled  into  that  faith  which  has  been  and  is  for  all 
time  the  hope  of  mankind.  Any  one  who  wishes  to  read 
about  this  episode  and  about  these  wars  may  do  so  by  open- 
ing his  Old  Testament  Apocrypha  and  reading  the  first  book 
of  Maccabees.  In  spite  of  occasional  errors,  this  book  is  au- 
thentic history,  contains  the  main  facts  of  this  extraordinary 
epoch,  and  is  of  sustained  and  thrilling  interest. 

Now  the  Book  of  Daniel  had  for  its  purpose  to  enflame  the 
patriotism  and  faith  of  the  Jews  in  this  life-and-death  strug- 
gle, to  nerve  them  to  resistance,  and  to  create  in  them  the 
will  to  conquer.  "If  we  would  realize  the  greatness  of  the 
Book  of  Daniel,  we  should  ask  ourselves  the  question,  What 
would  have  been  the  history  of  religion  in  the  world,  and 
what  would  have  been  our  own  religious  condition  if  the  effort 


20    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

of  Antiochus  to  extirpate  Judaism  had  been  successful,  and 
then  realize  that  the  faith  and  hope  which  this  book  expresses 
.  .  .  was  the  only  thing  that  stood  in  the  way  of  his  success."  * 

We  do  not  know  the  author  of  the  book.  Like  the  Book 
of  Jonah,  it  is  one  of  the  great  anonymous  books  of  the  Old 
Testament.  The  author  assumes  the  name  of  Daniel,  which 
means  "God  is  my  Judge."  There  may  indeed  have  been  a 
man  named  Daniel.  In  Ezekiel  (14:14,  20;  28:3)  a  Daniel 
is  mentioned  with  Noah  and  Job  as  a  very  righteous  man  and 
as  an  example  of  the  highest  wisdom.  But  we  have  no  exact 
knowledge  of  him,  and  the  author  simply  makes  use  of  him 
and  of  the  stories  connected  with  him,  to  point  his  own  moral 
lesson,  and  to  create  the  moral  enthusiasm  demanded  by  the 
crisis  which  he  had  set  himself  to  meet.  He  tells  these  stories 
as  if  they  had  taken  place  in  the  far  away  days  of  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity.  But  his  readers  knew  how  to  take  them. 
They  were  naming  tracts  for  the  times.  "This  book  fell  like 
a  glowing  spark  from  a  clear  Heaven  upon  a  surface  which 
was  already  intensely  heated  far  and  wide  and  waiting  to 
burst  into  flames."  For  a  century  or  more  prophecy  had 
been  dormant.  Once  more  before  the  close  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment it  leaps  like  flame  from  the  lips  of  this  inspired  prophet. 

We  are  now  in  a  position  to  understand  the  message  of 
this  book.  It  falls  into  two  parts :  the  first  six  chapters,  which 
have  to  do  with  the  stories  of  the  heroism  of  Daniel;  and  the 
last  six  chapters  which  contain  visions  and  predictions  of 
the  outcome  of  the  struggle,  the  destruction  of  evil,  and  the 
triumph  of  the  faithful. 

Look  for  a  moment  at  these  stories  in  Daniel  in  the  light  of 
what  has  been  said,  and  see  what  new  and  wonderful  signifi- 
cance they  assume  for  their  time  and  for  all  time.  Here  is 
the  story  of  how  Daniel  and  his  companions  refused  to  defile 
themselves  with  the  King's  meat.  Its  immediate  object  was 
to  brace  the  Jews  to  refuse  to  eat  the  meat  which  Antiochus 
had  commanded  they  should  eat  in  order  to  break  down  Jew- 

1  Porter,   op.   cit.,   p.   94. 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  21 

ish  religious  customs.  Eating  of  such  meat  since  the  Exile 
had  been  regarded  as  a  deadly  sin.  This  story  illustrates  the 
blessing  of  faithfulness.  In  it  young  men  in  the  midst  of 
the  solicitations  and  temptations  of  modern  life  can  find  the 
same  inspiration  which  the  Jews  found,  beset  as  they  were  by 
the  royal  decree. 

Akin  to  this  is  the  story  in  the  third  chapter  of  the  burning 
and  fiery  furnace.  "Regarded  as  an  instance  of  the  use  of 
historic  fiction  to  inculcate  the  noblest  truths,  the  third  chap- 
ter of  Daniel  is  not  only  superb  in  its  imaginative  grandeur 
but  still  more  in  the  manner  in  which  it  sets  forth  the  in- 
spired fidelity  which  is  the  essence  of  the  most  heroic  and  in- 
spiring forms  of  martyrdom.  So  far  from  slighting  it  because 
it  is  not  literal  history,  I  have  regarded  it  as  one  of  the  most 
precious  among  the  narratives  of  the  Bible,  and  of  priceless 
value  as  illustrating  the  deliverance  of  undaunted  faithful- 
ness, and  that  God  is  the  Saviour  and  Deliverer  of  those  who 
trust  in  Him."  *  The  Jews  were  in  the  furnace  of  affliction, 
but  they  were  not  to  be  afraid  of  it.  Let  them  but  answer 
as  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego  answered — one  of  the 
most  magnificent  passages  in  the  Bible.  President  Hadley  of 
Yale  has  said  that  he  could  never  read  these  words  without 
emotion : 

If  it  be  so,  our  God  whom  we  serve  is  able  to  deliver 
us  from  the  burning  fiery  furnace;  but  if  it  be  not  ac- 
cording to  his  plan,  be  it  still  known  unto  thee,  O  king, 
that  we  will  not  worship  thy  gods  nor  the  golden  image. 
(Dan.  3:17,  18.) 

In  this  setting,  the  phrase  "But  if  it  be  not"  is  one  of  the 
noblest  in  all  literature. 

And  the  fire  had  no  power  upon  their  bodies,  nor  was 
the  hair  of  their  head  singed,  nor  had  the  smell  of  fire 
passed  upon  them,  for  there  was  with  them  in  the  fur- 
nace a  fourth  whose  aspect  was  like  unto  the  Son  of  God. 
(Dan.   3:27.) 

1  Dean  Farrar,  quoted  in  Daniel,  Expositor's  Bible. 


22     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

What  depth  of  inspiration  for  the  day  for  which  it  was  writ- 
ten! What  a  chapter  for  the  martyrs  of  the  day  in  which 
we  live! 

With  these  two  must  be  linked  the  story  of  Daniel  cast  into 
the  den  of  lions.  The  wicked  are  often  called  lions  in  the  Old 
Testament.  "My  soul  is  among  lions.  Break  the  jaw-bones  of 
the  lions,  0  Lord."  "They  have  cut  off  my  life  in  the  dungeon 
and  cast  a  stone  upon  me."  In  the  story,  the  Jews  for  whom 
it  was  written  saw  a  true  picture  of  themselves  cast  helpless 
in  the  midst  of  their  ravenous  foes,  and  in  the  deliverance 
which  was  Daniel's  they  saw  the  promise  of  their  salvation 
from  their  enemies  and  from  them  that  hated  them.  The  truth 
of  this  chapter  for  its  time  and  for  all  time  is  adapted  to 
those  who  face  persecution  for  righteousness'  sake. 

Besides  these  three  stories  of  personal  heroism  are  the  three 
dreams,  pictures  of  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of  evil.  In 
the  first  dream  the  prophet  sees  a  kingdom  with  head  of  gold, 
arms  of  silver,  thighs  of  brass,  and  feet  of  iron,  standing 
athwart  the  land  and  threatening  to  crush  it.  And  there  was 
a  "stone  not  made  with  hands"  that  smote  it. 

Then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass,  the  silver,  and  the 
gold  broken  to  pieces  together  and  became  like  the  chaff  of 
the  summer  threshing-floors.     (Dan.  2:35). 

There  was  not  a  Jew  who  would  not  know  that  the  kingdom 
of  Antiochus  was  meant,  and  that  the  downfall  of  that  colossus 
was  prophesied  by  the  impact  of  the  rock  of  righteousness. 
Think  of  the  inspiration  which  the  story  contained  for  these 
threatened  Jews!  Think  back  to  the  colossus  of  Germany 
which  within  our  own  memory  stood  apparently  impregnable, 
"girt  about  with  might,"  but  was  made  like  the  chaff  of 
summer  threshing-floors  by  the  impact  of  a  stone  not  made 
with  hands,  by  the  force  of  righteous  ideas. 

In  the  second  dream  picture,  the  prosperity  of  the  heathen 
kingdom  is  likened  to  a  tree  which  grew  and  was  strong,  and 
the  height  thereof  reached  unto  Heaven  and  the  sight  thereof 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  23 

to  the  end  of  the  earth.  But  a  holy  one  came  down  from 
Heaven  and  hewed  the  tree  to  the  ground.  Naught  but  a 
stump  was  left : 

Thy  kingdom  shall  be  sure  unto  thee  after  that  thou 
shalt  have  known  that  the  heavens  do  rule.  Wherefore — break 
off  thy  sins  by  righteousness  and  thine  iniquities  by  shewing 
mercy  to  the  poor.     (Dan.  4:26,  27.) 

The  meaning  of  this  prophecy  for  its  own  day  needs  no  com- 
ment, nor  does  its  wonderful  applicability  to  our  day:  no 
kingdom  is  sure  until  "they  have  known  that  the  heavens  do 
rule." 

The  story  of  Belshazzar,  with  its  oriental  magnificence,  has 
been  made  familiar  to  us  in  art.  It  is  a  true  night-piece  with 
all  the  colors  of  dissolute,  extravagant  riot,  luxurious  passion, 
gTowing  madness,  ruinous  bewilderment,  mysterious  horror 
and  terror  of  such  a  night  of  revelry  and  death.  The  descrip- 
tion begins  with  a  crashing  overture,  and  it  ends  with  the 
doom  of  judgment.  The  eloquence  of  it  must  have  fired  to 
white  heat  the  religious  enthusiasm  of  the  Jews  for  whose 
inspiration  it  was  written;  to-day  there  are  few  passages  in 
all  literature  to  compare  with  it  for  its  effect  on  the  emotions. 
Considered  as  a  judgment  on  the  only  oriental  empire  known 
to  our  times,  the  Turkish  rule,  it  is  fitting  in  nearly  every 
detail.  The  words  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin,  fall  like  the 
sound  of  doom,  the  tolling  of  the  bell  of  fate,  upon  the  mod- 
ern nations  that  have  been  weighed  and  found  wanting. 

If  this,  then,  is  the  historical  meaning  and  the  everlasting 
inspiration  of  these  stories  contained  in  the  first  six  chapters 
of  Daniel,  a  word  must  be  said  about  the  visions  and  predic- 
tions contained  in  the  last  six  chapters.  Here  we  have  the 
emergence  of  that  new  type  of  prophecy  of  which  I  have 
spoken.  It  tells  men  that,  irresistible  as  their  human  foes 
may  seem  to  be,  the  hosts  of  the  Lord  are  mightier  still,  and 
nothing  can  withstand  his  might.  Traces  of  this  kind  of 
prophecy  are  to  be  found,  as  we  have  seen,  in  all  the  litera- 
ture after  the  Exile,  but  Daniel  is  the   first  book  to  make 


24     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

exclusive  use  of  it.  Its  entire  message  deals  with  what  God 
will  do  for  men;  it  speaks  only  of  salvation  and  deliver- 
ance, and  with  its  strange  figures  of  speech  and  bi- 
zarre imagery,  borrowed  largely  from  Eastern  mythology, 
it  brings  a  powerful  message  of  hope  and  victory.  The 
point  to  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  is  that  this  prophecy 
in  the  book  of  Daniel  is  all  focused  on  immediate  historical 
events.  The  afflicted  Jews  in  the  time  of  the  Maccabees  were 
demanding  an  end  of  their  troubles  and  deliverance  from  their 
persecution.  That  was  what  the  book  promised  them.  First 
of  all,  it  described  their  enemies  in  the  terms  of  beasts:  one 
like  a  lion,  one  like  an  eagle,  one  like  a  bear,  one  like  a 
leopard,  with  horns  and  heads,  and  teeth  and  hoofs — these 
are  the  heathen  kingdoms.  Over  against  them  there  is  the 
host  of  the  Lord,  there  is  the  Ancient  of  Days,  there  is  the 
Son  of  Man,  and  there  are  the  saints  of  the  Most  High.  In 
chapter  after  chapter  there  is  the  promise: 

Judgment  shall  be  set;  and  the  kingdom  shall  be  given  to 
the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High.  His  kingdom  is  an 
everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve  and  obey 
Him.     Here  is  an  end  of  the  matter.     (Dan.  7:27.) 

The  inspiration  of  these  chapters  is  two-fold:  first,  it  lies 
in  the  fact  that  when  the  fortunes  of  the  Hebrews  were  at 
their  lowest,  when  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  save  them,  at 
such  an  hour  the  faith  of  this  prophet  rose  supreme  and  he 
promised  the  Jews,  battling  for  their  faith  against  overwhelm- 
ing odds,  that  judgment  was  to  be  visited  upon  the  beast  An- 
tiochus  and  "they  shall  take  away  his  kingdom  to  destroy  and 
to  consume  it  to  the  end."  Even  a  time  limit  is  set  to  his 
triumph.  After  three  and  a  half  years  (a  time,  times  and  half 
a  time)  the  people  are  to  be  delivered  from  their  persecution. 
And  indeed  they  were!  How,  in  those  dark  days,  came  the 
prophet  to  have  so  confident  a  faith  in  the  triumph  of  right- 
eousness that  was  on  the  scaffold,  and  in  the  downfall  of  evil 
that  was  on  the  throne*?  In  the  answer  to  that  question  we 
touch  a  real  inspiration  in  the  Book  of  Daniel. 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  25 

This  matchless  assurance  that  evil  shall  be  conquered  in 
the  end,  that  the  right  shall  ultimately  prevail,  remains  the 
eternal  inspiration  of  all  righteous  souls.  The  Book  of  Daniel 
was  one  of  the  favorite  books  of  Jesus.  There  are  more  ref- 
erences to  it  in  the  records  of  his  life  than  to  almost  any 
other  Old  Testament  book.  In  the  dark  hours  of  his  passion 
and  struggle,  when  He  came  face  to  face  with  incarnate  evil, 
when  He  sweat  drops  of  blood  in  his  agony  to  do  away  with 
the  sin  of  the  world,  his  soul  hung  upon  this  everlasting  as- 
surance that  "upon  the  wing  of  abominations  shall  come  one 
that  maketh  desolate  and  even  unto  the  full  end,  and  that  de- 
termined, shall  wrath  be  poured  out  upon  the  desolate."  (Dan. 
9:27,  R.  V.) 

If  Jesus  needed  the  inspiration  of  these  chapters,  we  need 
them  too.  They  bid  us,  even  in  the  darkest  day,  to  trust  the 
omnipotence  of  righteousness;  they  tell  us  that  evil  is  marked 
for  overthrow;  that  God's  word  is  not  to  be  mistrusted;  that 
we  must  labor  and  endure  in  the  faith  which  is  so  adequately 
expressed  for  us  at  the  end  of  this  wonderful  book: 

But    go    thou   thy   way   till   the    end    be;    for   thou   shalt 
rest  and  stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days.     (Dan.  12:13.) 

Any  one  who  is  at  all  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  Jew- 
ish people  between  the  time  of  the  Maccabees  and  the  Book 
of  Revelation — roughly  speaking,  between  100  B.C.  and  100 
A.D. — will  not  be  surprised  that  this  kind  of  apocalyptical 
literature  flourished  during  this  period.  As  we  have  seen, 
here  is  prophecy  for  dark  and  dismal  hours,  for  people 
with  their  backs  to  the  wall,  desperate,  defeated  and  all  but 
despairing.  Such  was  the  outward  condition  of  the  Jewish 
people  for  these  two  hundred  years.  Delivered  from  the 
Syrians,  the  Jews  fell  into  the  clutches  of  Rome  and,  as  every 
New  Testament  reader  knows,  they  were  ground  under  the  iron 
heel  of  Roman  oppression.  The  embers  of  revolt  were  con- 
stantly breaking  out  into  the  open  flame  of  rebellion,  until 
Rome  determined  to  make  an  end   of  this  seditious  people. 


26    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

That  end  came  in  the  unparalleled  and  appalling  disaster  of 
the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Roman  Emperor  Titus  in  the 
year  A.D.  70.  The  horrors  of  the  siege  and  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  may  be  read  in  the  history  of  Josephus.  All 
through  this  dismal  period  the  faith  of  the  Jews  was  sus- 
tained by  apocalyptical  writings  which  are  not  a  part  of  our 
canonical  Scriptures.  These  offer  a  broad  and  a  fascinating 
field  for  study.1  It  is  unfortunate  that  they  have  not  been 
gathered  into  a  convenient  volume  for  the  general  reader. 
Two  of  them  (Ezra  and  Baruch)  appear  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment Apocrypha.  Others  have  been  published  in  separate 
volumes  (Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  Lon- 
don). A  knowledge  of  these  books  is  necessary  for  one  who 
desires  to  understand  the  sources  of  the  Book  of  Revelation, 
and  the  position  which  it  occupies  in  the  history  of  apocalyp- 
tical literature. 

The  most  important  of  these  non-canonical  apocalypses  is 
the  Book  of  Enoch.  It  was  written  a  little  later  than  the 
Book  of  Daniel,  and  like  Daniel  is  pseudonymous.  It  is  com- 
posite, and  contains  several  apocalypses  which  made  their 
appearance  during  the  two  centuries  before  Christ.  The  first 
part  of  the  book  contains  a  series  of  visions,  in  which  are 
described  the  impending  destruction  of  evil,  the  triumph  of 
righteousness,  and  the  setting  up  of  the  Messianic  kingdom. 

The  second  of  these  visions  consists  of  a  series  of  parables 
or  similitudes.  These  all  treat  of  the  Messianic  age,  and 
offer  a  basis  for  understanding  the  Messianic  consciousness  of 
Christ.  In  them  are  described  the  future  abodes  of  the  right- 
eous, the  punishment  reserved  for  sinners,  the  sufferings  of 
God's  servants  in  their  resistance  to  evil,  and  the  final  judg- 
ments to  be  enacted  by  the  Messiah.  A  third  division  of 
Enoch  gives  us  information  about  the  heavenly  bodies,  and 
still  another  describes  the  whole  course  of  human  history  to 

1  The  Standard  work  is  R.  H.  Charles'  Apocrypha  and  Pseudepi- 
grapha  (Oxford  1913).  A  brief  review  of  the  most  important  of 
these  apocalypses  will  be  found  in  Case,  The  Revelation  of  John, 
pp.  75-124,  and  Porter,  op.  cit.,  pp.  293-356.  See  also  Hastings* 
Bible  Dictionary,  Apocalyptic  Literature,   and  Apocrypha. 


LANGUAGE  AND  STYLE  27 

the  end  of  the  world.  Doubtless  this  book  was  familiar  to 
the  author  of  Revelation  (see  Jude  14),  and  it  contains  all 
of  the  familiar  ideas  of  our  Apocalypse:  the  necessity  for 
faithful  endurance,  the  trials  of  God's  servants,  the  terrors  of 
the  last  times,  the  sure  triumph  of  righteousness,  the  punish- 
ment of  the  wicked,  and  the  glories  of  the  Messianic  age. 

Early  in  the  Christian  era  appeared  The  Assumption  of 
Moses,  the  purpose  of  which  was  to  encourage  trust  in  re- 
ligious ideals  rather  than  in  political  action  while  awaiting 
the  salvation  that  God  was  sure  to  send  to  his  people.  A 
little  later  appeared  The  Secrets  of  Enoch.  God  is  described 
as  revealing  to  Enoch  the  secrets  of  Heaven  and  of  Hades. 
He  is  also  told  that  at  the  end  of  seven  thousand  years  a  new 
and  eternal  world  is  to  appear,  which  is  now  imminent. 

The  fall  of  Jerusalem  in  A.D.  70  gave  rise  to  two  im- 
portant Jewish  apocalypses,  both  of  which  are  found  in  our 
Old  Testament  Apocrypha,  Baruch  and  Ezra  (II  Esdras). 
The  first  of  these  purports  to  have  been  written  by  Jeremiah's 
scribe.  The  purpose  of  the  real  author,  however,  is  to  admon- 
ish the  faithful  to  endure  in  the  face  of  all  trials,  since  in 
his  own  time  God  will  come  to  them  with  a  glorious  reward, 
and  will  give  terrible  punishment  to  their  enemies.  In  the 
book  of  Ezra,  the  question  is  asked  why  God  should  permit 
his  people  to  suffer  so  severely.  The  answer  to  this  question 
is  given  to  Ezra  by  an  angel,  and  contains  the  familiar  apoca- 
lyptical assurance  of  the  care  of  God  for  his  people,  the 
impending  end,  the  punishment  of  sinners,  and  the  new  crea- 
tion with  the  glories  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem.  A  careful 
reading  of  this  book,  which  is  easily  accessible  (O.  T. 
Apocrypha  II  Esdras),  will  reveal  many  of  the  features  of 
the  New  Testament  Apocalypse. 

There  are  a  few  Christian  apocalypses  which  made  their 
appearance  subsequent  to  the  writing  of  our  Revelation.  The 
most  important  of  these  are  The  Shepherd  of  Hennas,  and 
The  Apocalypse  of  Peter.  It  seems  reasonably  clear  that 
both  books  were  in  existence  as  early  as  150  A.D.     Hermas 


28    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

receives  revelations  of  wisdom  in  the  form  of  addresses  which 
he  is  instructed  to  pass  on  to  his  fellow-Christians.  These 
addresses  contain  information  about  the  church,  the  impend- 
ing catastrophe,  and  the  virtues  which  Christians  should  pos- 
sess. The  Apocalypse  of  Peter  has  great  historical  signifi- 
cance since  it  is  the  prototype  of  that  kind  of  literature  of 
which  the  writings  of  Dante  are  the  most  famous  example. 
This  Apocalypse  is  only  a  fragment,  and  its  chief  purpose  is 
to  portray  in  detail  the  future  blessings  of  the  righteous  and 
the  torments  of  the  wicked.  The  special  tortures  of  mur- 
derers, blasphemers,  the  worldly  and  the  persecutors  of  Chris- 
tians are  successfully  described.  The  Book  of  Revelation 
contains  only  the  beginnings  of  such  speculation  which, 
through  this  later  Apocalypse,  became  one  of  the  familiar 
themes  of  later  mediaeval  church  literature. 

Such  then,  in  briefest  outline,  is  the  history  of  apocalypti- 
cal prophecy  to  which  the  Book  of  Revelation  belongs.  It  is 
the  great  Christian  Apocalypse.  Like  all  apocalyptic  litera- 
ture, it  was  written  at  a  time  when  faith  was  tested,  when 
evil  was  regnant,  when  God's  people  were  threatened  by  suf- 
fering and  by  death.  Here  we  have  the  cry  of  the  Christian 
heart  tortured  by  the  pressure  of  the  Pagan  Empire.  Falling 
back  on  that  form  of  prophecy  that  was  so  familiar,  so  sat- 
urated with  all  kinds  of  national  and  religious  sentiment, 
which  had  already  vindicated  itself  more  than  once  in  the  his- 
tory of  God's  people,  John,  carried  away  in  the  spirit,  be- 
held the  Apocalypse,  the  Omnipotent  God,  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain,  sitting  upon  the  throne  and  crowned  King  of  Kings 
and  Lord  of  Lords. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    ETHICAL    VALUE    OF    APOCALYPTICAL    PROPHECY 

IT  is  important  to  remember  that  the  apocalypses  of  the 
Old  Testament  were  reflected  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus. 
They  were  not  reckoned  by  Him  to  be  a  negligible  or  sec- 
ondary element  in  Old  Testament  inspiration.  Apocalyptical 
thought  is  seen  to  be  a  fundamental  and  permanent  element 
in  his  teaching.  If  we  can  discover  the  reason  for  this,  we 
shall  discover  also  the  place  which  the  apocalyptical  ideas 
should  have  in  the  thought  of  all  Christians. 

Every  reader  of  the  Gospels  is  aware  that  they  contain  two 
kinds  of  language,  and  two  types  of  thought.  On  the  one 
hand,  there  is  the  simple  ethical  teaching  of  Jesus  as  found 
in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  in  the  Parables,  and  in  the  chap- 
ters of  the  Fourth  Gospel.  In  these  familiar  portions  of  the 
Gospel  we  are  taught  about  God's  love  for  men,  about  man's 
duty  to  God  and  to  his  fellow-men,  and  about  the  nature  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But  there  is  another  kind  of  teach- 
ing, found  chiefly  at  fhe  end  of  each  of  the  four  Gospels,  in 
which  Jesus  discourses  about  the  end  of  the  world,  the  judg- 
ment, the  resurrection  of  the  just,  the  condemnation  of  the 
wicked,  and  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  power  and  great 
glory. 

To  most  Bible  readers  these  chapters  have  seemed  strange 
and  unintelligible,  quite  foreign  to  the  words  of  the  meek  and 
loving  Jesus;  a  rather  unwelcome  and  mysterious  addition,  as 
it  were,  to  the  familiar  sayings  of  Christ.  Many  Bible  read- 
ers, if  they  were  to  speak  their  minds,  would  be  rather  re- 
lieved if  the  teaching  of  Jesus  were  free  from  this  apocalypti- 

29 


30     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

cal  language.  Frankly,  they  are  not  at  home  in  it,  do  not 
read  it,  and  do  not  know  what  to  do  with  it.  What  relation 
has  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son  to  such  words  as  these 
at  the  close  of  the  same  Gospel   (Luke  21:25-27): 

And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun  and  the  moon  and 
in  the  stars;  .  .  .  the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring,  for  the  pow- 
ers of  heaven  shall  be  shaken.  And  then  they  shall  see  the  Son 
of  man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  and  great  glory. 

The  average  Bible  reader  is  not  the  only  one  to  be  perplexed 
by  this  contrast  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  Scholars  have 
been  baffled  by  it  also.  Of  late  years,  an  exhaustive  study  of 
the  subject  has  been  made.  No  portion  of  the  Gospels  has 
been  scrutinized  with  more  care  than  the  apocalyptical  ele- 
ment. Out  of  this  study,  four  general  positions  have  emerged, 
which  may  be  briefly  summarized  as  follows: 

1.  It  has  been  thought  that  these  teachings  are  a  kind  of 
Jewish  excrescence  upon  the  pure,  original  Gospel  of  Christ 
Himself,  that  they  are  not  a  part  of  that  original  Gospel 
at  all,  that  they  were  carried  over  from  the  Old  Testament 
by  the  early  Christian  writers  whose  minds  were  full  of  this 
Jewish  teaching,  and  grafted  on  the  teaching  of  Christ  Him- 
self which  was,  in  its  original  form,  innocent  of  any  such 
thought  and  language.  The  apocalyptical  element  in  the  Gos- 
pels is  thus  thought  to  be  a  Jewish  gloss  foisted  upon  the  nar- 
rative by  Jewish  influences,  the  pure  Gospel  being  adulterated 
by   a  foreign   admixture  of  Jewish  ideas. 

The  trouble  with  this  theory  is  that  it  runs  counter  to  the 
judgment  of  the  best  scholars  of  the  text  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. Those  scholars  now  tell  us  that  the  apocalyptical  say- 
ings of  Christ  are  as  well  attested  as  his  simple  ethical  teach- 
ings. While  there  may  be  some  intermingling  of  Jewish  ele- 
ments in  the  Gospels,  there  is  nothing  to  show  \hat  the 
apocalyptical  ideas  are  not  an  original  part  of  the  teachings 
of  Jesus.  They  cannot  be  stricken  out  of  the  Gospels  as 
alien  and  spurious  additions  to  it. 

2.  A  second  theory  is  that  these  teachings  in  the  Gospels 


ETHICAL  VALUE  OF  APOCALYPTICAL  PROPHECY  31 

are  the  exaggeration  of  a  later  age.  Our  Gospels,  as  we 
know,  are  not  a  verbatim  and  contemporary  record  of  the 
sayings  of  Jesus.  They  are  a  recollection  of  those  sayings 
as  they  passed  through  the  minds  of  the  evangelists  who  later 
set  them  forth  orally  and  in  writing.  Thus  they  are  tinged 
and  colored  by  the  thought  of  the  evangelists  and  by  the  at- 
mosphere of  a  later  time.  Since  the  Gospels  were  written 
about  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or  shortly 
after,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  that  great  catastrophe 
influenced  the  thought  of  those  who  reported  the  utterances 
of  Jesus.  Those  utterances,  as  we  know,  remained  a  fluid  tra- 
dition for  nearly  a  generation  before  being  put  into  a  fixed 
form.  During  that  time  they  were  susceptible  to  outside 
influences  and  an  unconscious  infiltration  of  extraneous  ele- 
ments. These  apocalyptical  ideas  crept  into  the  reported 
teaching  of  Jesus  during  this  period  of  fluidity.  Doubtless 
there  were  some  of  his  sayings  which  lent  themselves  to  such 
an  interpretation,  and  the  later  Christian  consciousness  made 
explicit,  in  an  exaggerated  form,  what  was  at  the  most  merely 
implicit  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus. 

The  answer  to  this  is,  that  there  must  have  been  at  least 
some  solid  foundation  for  these  portions  of  the  Gospels,  since 
they  attained  the  strength  and  the  dimensions  which  they  ex- 
hibit in  all  of  our  four  Gospels  and  elsewhere  in  the  New 
Testament.  We  have  in  the  New  Testament  no  less  than  seven 
different  presentations  of  the  faith  of  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians, viz.:  the  Synoptic  Gospels  (Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke), 
the  Fourth  Gospel,  Paul,  Hebrews,  James,  Peter  and  Reve- 
lation. In  all  of  them  the  apocalyptical  element  is  promi- 
nent. It  is  an  accepted  principle  in  New  Testament  inter- 
pretation, that  what  is  common  to  all  presentations  of  the 
Gospel  teaching  goes  back  to  the  teaching  of  Christ  Himself. 
The  application  of  this  principle  proves  that  the  apocalyptical 
teaching  belongs  to  Christ,  if  it  proves  anything  at  all.  The 
evidence  shows  that  if  that  teaching  were  influenced  at  all  by 
later  thought,  it  was  softened  rather  than  sharpened  as  time 


32    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

went  on.  It  goes  back  to  the  very  first  days  of  the  church's 
history.  It  leaps  as  by  instinct  from  the  lips  of  the  New 
Testament  preachers.  It  must,  therefore,  have  behind  it  the 
authority  of  Christ  Himself. 

3.  A  third  view  accepts  these  sayings  as  an  undoubted  genu- 
ine part  of  the  teaching  of  Christ,  but  insists  that  they  are 
an  unimportant  part  of  that  teaching.  Jesus  was  a  Jew. 
He  inherited  the  Jewish  ideas,  and  the  Jewish  teaching  was 
a  part  of  his  human  consciousness.  He  was  a  child  of  his 
age,  and  He  did  not  escape  from  the  Jewish  categories  of 
thought.  Thus  the  survival  of  the  apocalyptical  ideas  is  a 
proof,  according  to  the  exponents  of  this  theory,  of  the  way 
in  which  He  emptied  Himself  into  the  human  life  of  his  time. 
The  apocalyptical  thought  survives  as  a  relic  of  old  Judaism 
and  must  be  regarded  as  an  anachronism  in  the  teaching's  of 
Jesus  to  which  little  attention  need  be  paid  and  in  which 
little  value  will  be  found. 

The  difficulty  here  lies  in  the  fact  that  this  teaching  grows 
in  intensity  and  in  fullness  and  power  as  the  life  of  Christ 
progresses.  If  it  were  an  inheritance  truly  foreign  to  Him- 
self and  to  his  mission,  we  should  expect  to  find  it  in  abun- 
dance at  the  beginning  of  his  teaching,  but  falling  more  and 
more  into  the  background  as  that  teaching  developed  ac- 
cording to  its  own  principles  and  purposes.  But  precisely 
the  opposite  is  the  case.  The  apocalyptical  ideas  are  indeed 
to  be  found  all  through  the  Gospels.  "Little  Apocalypses" 
(as  for  example  in  Lk.  10:18;  Matt.  8:11,  12)  keep  occur- 
ring. But  it  is  as  his  ministry  approaches  its  climax  that 
this  teaching  increases  in  extent  and  in  power.  It  is  in  the 
shadow  of  the  Cross  itself  that  it  rises  to  its  height.  How 
then  can  it  be  considered  a  negligible  or  unimportant  or 
valueless  part  of  his  teaching?  The  evidence  goes  to  show 
that  on  the  contrary  it  was  an  outstanding  part  of  the  Gospel 
as  Jesus  felt  it  and  taught  it. 

4.  So  convincing  has  this  argument  seemed  to  many  mod- 
ern  scholars    that   they    have   not   hesitated    to    declare    that 


ETHICAL  VALUE  OF  APOCALYPTICAL  PKOPHECY  33 

the  apocalyptical  element  in  the  Gospels  is  the  original  core 
of  that  Gospel,  and  that  in  its  light  the  whole  teaching  and 
outlook  and  mission  of  Christ  must  be  understood  and  ex- 
plained. The  apocalypse  of  Jesus,  in  a  word,  and  not  the 
ethics  of  Jesus,  constitutes  the  real  Gospel.  For  this  strange 
and  unwelcome  conclusion,  conservative  Bible  students  are  in 
part  responsible,  in  so  far  as  they  have  insisted  upon  the  im- 
possibility of  reconciling  the  ethical  and  apocalyptical  teach- 
ings as  parts  of  one  and  the  same  Gospel.  Those  who  have 
been  unwilling  to  accept  the  apocalyptical  teachings  of  Christ 
on  a  par  and  level  with  his  familiar  ethical  teachings,  have 
pointed  out  that  the  two  are  mutually  contradictory.  And 
this  contradiction,  they  have  argued,  goes  deeper  than  lan- 
guage and  form  of  thought.  It  involves  the  very  essence  of 
the  Gospel  itself.  On  the  one  hand  we  have  the  fact  of  the 
incarnation,  God  in  man,  Christ  uttering  the  truth  of  God  in 
his  teachings  concerning  God  and  man.  When  this  was  done, 
the  kingdom  of  God  had  in  a  true  sense  already  come.  Out 
of  this  inspiration,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  would  gradually 
develop  as  the  tree  from  the  grain  of  mustard  seed.  When 
the  sower  had  sown  the  seed,  redemption  had  indeed  been 
wrought.  Quite  contrary  to  this,  however — so  runs  this  ar- 
gument— is  the  apocalyptical  idea  in  the  Gospels.  According 
to  this,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  had  not  come  with  the  earthly 
career  of  Jesus.  His  Messiahship  would  not  be  proved  and 
recognized  until  his  return  upon  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Not 
until  the  Son  of  Man  should  come  with  power  and  great 
glory,  not  in  the  weakness  of  the  manger  but  in  the  triumph 
of  the  apocalypse,  would  his  Messiahship  be  vindicated  and 
his  kingdom  be  set  up  on  earth.  It  has  been  urged  that 
both  of  these  conceptions,  the  ethical  and  the  apocalyptical, 
cannot  be  true.  One  or  the  other  must  represent  the  mes- 
sage and  mission  of  Christ. 

Accepting  this  conclusion,  a  certain  set  of  influential  schol- 
ars, led  by  Albert  Schweitzer,  whose  book,  "The  Quest  of  the 
Historical  Jesus,"  1910,  is  the  most  complete  statement  of  this 


34    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

view,  has  argued  that  the  apocalyptical  conception  is  the  real 
and  original  Gospel;  and  that  the  apocalyptical  hope  was  that 
which,  from  the  first,  animated  and  inspired  Christ  and  was 
the  secret  of  his  inspiration  and  the  source  of  his  Social  Hope 
for  the  world.  It  was  upon  this  revelation  that  his  heart  was 
set  from  the  first,  the  ethical  teachings  constituting  only  a 
preliminary  and  preparatory  and  temporary  labor,  until  the 
consummation  should  appear.  This  generation  was  not  to  pass 
away  until  these  things  were  fulfilled.  Some  standing  there 
were  not  to  taste  death  until  they  should  see  the  Son  of  Man 
coming  in  glory.  It  was  the  apocalyptical  vision  that  was 
the  inner  inspiration  of  Jesus  all  through  his  ministry,  an  in- 
spiration inherited  from  the  most  spiritual  of  the  prophets 
who  had  most  immediately  preceded  Him  and  passed  on  by 
Him  to  his  followers.  The  Cross  was  to  Jesus  the  crucifixion 
of  these  hopes,  and  constituted  the  bitterness  of  his  cup  and 
the  agony  of  his  soul.1 

Into  a  criticism  of  this  view  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  go. 
Doubtless  it  clears  up  certain  difficulties,  explains  certain  well- 
attested  sayings  of  Christ  which  otherwise  seem  very  obscure, 
and  presents  us  with  a  clear  and  intelligible  story  of  the 
progress  of  his  thought  and  consciousness.  But  it  runs 
counter  to  what  may  be  called  the  normal  Christian  conscious- 
ness. It  may  satisfy  intellectually  and  even  spiritually  a  cer- 
tain company  of  admittedly  able  and  devout  scholars,  but  it 
does  not  and  will  not  satisfy  the  instinct  of  the  instructed 
Christian  heart.  It  not  only  does  not  offer  men  the  Christ 
whom  they  want,  but  it  does  not  present  them  with  the  whole 
Christ  of  the  Gospels.  An  interpretation  which  puts  the 
whole  ethical  teaching  of  Christ  in  the  background,  makes  a 
subordinate  if  not  a  negligible  fact  of  the  Incarnation,  and 
makes  the  Cross  the  symbol  of  a  divine  disappointment  in- 
stead of  a  divine  consummation,  will  never  win  the  loyal  al- 
legiance of  more  than   a  small  group  of  Christian  thinkers. 

1  The  reader  will  refer  to  London  Theological  Studies,  H.  T.  An- 
drews, "The  Eschatological  Utterances  of  Jesus,"  and  to  D.  S. 
Cairns,  op.   cit.,  Chap.  IV,  "Jesus  and  the  Kingdom  of  God." 


ETHICAL  VALUE  OF  APOCALYPTICAL  PROPHECY  35 

For  the  majority  of  Christians,  the  chief  value  of  all  this 
apocalyptical  explication  of  the  Gospels  is  a  vindication  of  it 
as  a  real  and  permanent  and  fundamental  element  in  the 
total  thought  and  message  of  Christ. 

If,  then,  no  one  of  these  four  views  can  be  accepted,  what 
interpretation  can  be  offered  which  will  include  both  the 
ethical  and  apocalyptical  ideas  and  unite  them  in  a  compre- 
hensible and  intelligible  whole?  The  answer  to  this  question 
is  not  nearly  so  difficult  as  it  has  been  made  to  appear.  Care- 
ful thought  will  show  that  not  only  can  they  be  united, 
but  that  they  are  both  necessary  to  the  complete  thought  and 
teaching  of  Christ,  and  that  both  are  needed  in  the  thinking 
and  experience  of  a  true  follower  of  Christ  and  a  true  worker 
for  Christ. 

We  have  already  seen  what  is  the  innermost  meaning  of 
all  the  Jewish  apocalypses.  It  was  the  Jewish  way  of  ex- 
pressing faith  and  hope  in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  good  over 
evil.  Always  that  idea  lies  at  the  root  and  center  of  an 
apocalypse,  wherever  found.  That  idea  Jesus  had  inherited; 
it  had  become  a  part  of  his  spiritual  experience.  He  was 
familiar  with  the  vocabulary  of  the  apocalypse,  that  literary 
vehicle  in  which  this  fundamental  idea  was  transmitted  to 
the  Hebrew  mind  and  consciousness.  This  inspiration,  then, 
and  the  form  in  which  it  was  expressed  and  uttered,  formed  a 
part  of  that  equipment  which  Jesus  received  from  his  human 
heritage.    With  it,  He  began  his  ministry. 

At  first,  however,  slight  use  was  made  of  it.  Doubtless 
the  Gospels  give  us  an  accurate  sequence  here.  That  min- 
istry begins  with  the  teaching  of  his  disciples  and  of  the 
people,  and  with  the  healing  of  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men. 
Only  occasionally  do  we  have  a  flash  of  the  apocalyptical 
vision,  as  when  He  sees  Satan  falling  like  lightning  from 
Heaven,  or  declares  in  the  parable  of  the  tares  that  evil  at  the 
last  will  be  destroyed  by  fire.  But  as  Jesus  advances  in  the 
proclamation  of  his  new  kingdom,  it  becomes  increasingly  ap- 
parent that  against  it  are  to  be  arrayed  the  kingdoms  and 


36     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

powers  of  this  world.  "Now  is  my  soul  troubled."  (John 
12:27.)  The  shadow  of  the  Cross  begins  to  fall  across  his 
pathway,  and  He  sets  his  face  steadfastly  to  go  up  to  Jeru- 
salem. Sharper  and  sharper  becomes  the  contrast  between 
good  and  evil.  On  the  one  hand  there  is  his  handful  of  dis- 
ciples, themselves  ignorant  and  feeble,  and  Himself,  despised 
and  rejected  of  men,  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  more  deeply 
He  penetrates  into  the  meaning  of  his  ministry  and  of  the 
work  of  the  redemption  and  salvation  of  the  world,  the  more 
definite  become  the  two  contrasting  kingdoms — the  kingdom 
of  this  world  and  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  more  heavily 
the  kingdom  of  this  world  threatens  to  crush  Christ,  who  not 
only  preached  but  in  his  own  person  typified  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  the  more  insistently  there  falls  from  his  lips  the 
apocalyptical  teaching  that  one  day  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
will  be  set  up  in  this  world,  and  He,  the  prince  of  righteous- 
ness, will  sit  upon  the  throne.  In  part,  this  teaching  was 
projected  into  the  future,  and  Christ  saw  and  proclaimed  that 
distant  advent,  the  precise  day  and  hour  of  which  He,  Him- 
self, did  not  know,  but  the  Father  only,  when  He  would  re- 
appear in  power  and  great  glory.  But  again,  this  teaching 
was  concentrated  upon  the  present  hour,  and  Christ  saw  and 
proclaimed  that  with  the  completion  of  his  work,  with  his  own 
death  and  resurrection,  that  far-off  and  ultimate  triumph  was 
already  potentially  achieved-  This  world  was  judged,  its 
kingdom  was  already  overthrown,  and  the  Son  of  Man  was 
already  come.  Without  doubt  He  pointed  to  the  Temple  lind 
declared  that  within  that  generation  not  one  stone  should 
stand  upon  another.  Without  doubt  He  declared  that  soon 
Jerusalem  would  be  hedged  in  with  heathen  armies,  as  in  the 
days  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah.  But  surely  we  may  say  that 
what  really  preoccupied  the  mind  of  Jesus  was  not  a  series  of 
probable  or  even  certain  historical  and  political  events,  but 
rather  the  certainty  that  He  had  from  his  Father  that  if  his 
days  were  numbered,  so  also  were  those  of  the  nation  and 
of  the  system  that  were  casting  Him  forth.     Through  Jesus 


ETHICAL  VALUE  OF  APOCALYPTICAL  PEOPHECY  37 

Christ,  God  had  made  Himself  felt  as  a  fact  upon  Jerusa- 
lem. The  moral  judgment  typified  and  personified  in  the 
Son  of  Man  was  speedily  to  fall  upon  that  city  and  upon 
that  nation.  That  was  the  "time  of  the  visitation"  of  Jeru- 
salem. "Out  of  all  the  many  days,  there  had  been  one  day 
on  which  the  challenge  of  eternity  had  been  concentrated. 
The  pressure  of  an  eternal  judgment  had  been  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  Holy  City  through  the  immediate  presence  of 
the  Son  of  Man.  It  had  been  brought  under  the  scrutiny 
of  the  Eternal  and  had  delivered  the  verdict  which  was  its 
condemnation.  And  all  this  had  come  so  suddenly  that  Jeru- 
salem was  not  aware  of  what  it  had  done."  It  was  not  in 
any  sense  prepared  for  the  time  of  its  visitation.  How  real 
and  vital,  thus  understood,  becomes  the  message  of  Jesus 
to  his  disciples: 

Therefore  be  ye  ready;  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not 
the  Son  of  man  cometh.     (Matt,  24:44.) 

Far  from  its  being  the  truth  that  this  teaching  of  Jesus 
is  a  Jewish  survival,  or  an  element  of  weakness  in  his  moral 
outlook,  what  we  really  discover  is  that  it  is  a  necessary  sup- 
plement to  his  explicit  moral  and  religious  teaching. 

"When  death  drew  near  and  the  shadow  of  the  Cross  fell 
upon  Him,  conscious  that  as  yet  He  had  been  unable  to  give 
the  spiritual  riches  of  the  kingdom  of  God  full  expression, 
.  .  .  and  that  his  brief  life  was  about  to  end,  his  earthly 
work  forever  to  be  closed,  He  flung  the  reserved  elements  of 
his  teaching  into  symbolic  form,  and  making  use  of  the  cur- 
rent and  familiar  imagery  of  the  Jewish  Apocalypse,  He  ut- 
tered these  great  and  terrible  closing  words  about  his  second 
coming."  * 

It  is  as  if  He  had  said:  "Hitherto  I  have  been  among  you 
in  obscurity  and  weakness:  I  am  now  about  to  go  away; 
but  I  shall  come  again  in  glory  and  power  to  judge  the 
world  and  to  bring  in  the  kingdom  of  God."  Obscurity  there 
may  be — allusions  that   are  not  easy  to   explain   or  even   to 

1  See  Cairns,   op.   cit.,  p.   200. 


38    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

understand — a  language  with  whose  very  vocabulary  and  im- 
agery we  are  not  familiar;  but  brushing  these  all  aside  the 
main  intention  is  plain :  that  just  as  there  had  been  an  ad- 
vent in  weakness,  so  there  should  be  an  advent  in  power; 
just  as  He  had  come  into  this  world  sharing  the  limitations 
of  our  humanity,  so  one  day  He  would  come  with  the  infinite 
prerogatives  of  ruler  and  judge:  just  as  one  day  He  had  put 
Himself  at  the  mercy  of  men,  so  one  day  men  would  be  at 
the  mercy  of  Him  who  would  be  judge  of  both  the  quick 
and  the  dead.  He  was  indeed  going  away,  He  said,  but  only 
to  a  higher  vantage  ground  from  which  He  would  exert  a 
far  more  powerful  influence  upon  them  and  upon  the  world 
than  when  He  was  with  them  in  the  flesh.  And  He  would 
still  be  the  instrument  of  God  in  all  the  coming  convulsions 
of  nature  and  history  through  which  mankind  will  be  judged 
and  the  kingdom  will  come,  just  as  He  had  under  lowlier 
conditions  been  the  Father's  instrument  in  succoring  them  in 
the  storm  upon  the  lake,  in  feeding  them  with  heavenly  food, 
and  in  washing  their  travel-stained  feet. 

The  real  meaning  of  the  apocalyptical  teaching  of  Jesus, 
then,  is  his  claim  to  be  the  rightful  Lord  of  the  entire  world; 
is  his  solemn  assurance  that  though  He  might  seem  to  be 
leaving  the  world  in  humility  and  shame,  the  hour  was  ad- 
vancing when  that  kingdom  which  He  had  come  to  found, 
which  thus  far  had  found  its  lodgment  only  in  the  hearts  of 
a  few  Galilean  peasants,  would  manifest  its  true  character 
in  the  great  spheres  of  the  world's  life;  when  He,  who  was 
born  in  a  manger  and  was  about  to  be  spat  upon,  beaten 
and  crucified,  would  reappear  as  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of 
Lords.  When  that  reappearance  should  be,  how  it  should 
come  to  pass — these  are  questions  secondary  to  this  magnifi- 
cent proclamation  of  the  coming  of  the  kingdom  and  the 
coming  of  the  King. 

From  this  point  of  view,  the  apocalyptical  teaching  has  a 
true  and  permanent  place  in  the  message  of  Jesus.  Neither 
ethics  nor  apocalypse  excludes  the  other;  neither  is  subordi- 


ETHICAL  VALUE  OF  APOCALYPTICAL  PBOPHECY  39 

nate;  and  each  is  necessary  to  complete  the  whole.  The 
ethical  message  of  Jesus  would  be  incomplete  without  this 
vision  and  solemn  announcement  of  the  ultimate  overthrow 
of  evil  and  the  triumph  of  righteousness.  Doubtless  this 
truth  was  conveyed  in  language  which  to  us  may  seem  unin- 
telligible and  unfamiliar;  but  underneath  it  all,  and  running 
through  it  all,  and  not  forgetting  the  full  reach  and  meaning 
of  it  all,  runs  this  sure  conviction  of  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  the  truth  which  He,  a  humble  rabbi,  a  lover  of  men,  an 
itinerant  preacher,  had  put  in  the  hearts  of  his  disciples  and 
of  those  who  had  ears  to  hear.  That  truth  was  destined  one 
day  to  overturn  the  world  and  usher  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  same  importance  is  given  to  the  apocalypse  in  the 
teaching  of  St.  Paul.  Is  it  possible  to  imagine  Paul  without 
the  apocalyptical  hope?  He  travels  about  the  Roman  Empire 
with  the  light  of  the  Gospel  shining  in  his  soul.  He  plants 
little  Christian  colonies  and  instructs  his  disciples  to  be  kind, 
loving,  forgiving,  pure,  earnest  and  faithful.  Then  he  looks 
about  him  and"  what  does  he  see?  He  sees  the  whole  Roman 
Empire  in  its  vast  power  and  in  its  impregnable  sin.1  "As 
he  goes  forward  seeking  to  subdue  the  whole  world  for  Christ, 
he  becomes  aware  that  while  to  a  certain  extent  the  world  can 
be  impressed  by  the  Gospel,  there  is  a  whole  social  order  of 
untouched  wrongs  and  cruelties  that  he  cannot  touch,  evils 
that  are  wholly  against  the  mind  of  Christ,  but  that  he  can- 
not touch  or  alter.  Hoary  institutions  like  slavery,  state 
paganism  and  the  murderous  gladiatorial  games — what  could 
he  do  to  destroy  them?  But  one  thing  he  could  do.  He  could 
set  himself  to  win  converts  out  of  the  heathen  world;  he 
could  plant  in  the  hearts  of  men  and  of  women  the  love  and 
fear  of  Jesus  Christ;  he  could  organize  them  into  churches. 
And  for  the  rest?  There  was  the  great  hope;  there  was  the 
great  assurance — the  Lord  would  come.  Once  He  had  come 
in  weakness;  the  next  time  He  would  come  in  power  and  in 
glory,  and  Emperor  and  Sanhedrin  would  own  Him  alike." 

1  Cairns,   ibid.,   p.   213. 


40    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Then  cometh  the  end  when  he  .  .  .  shall  have  put  down 
all  rule  and  all  authority  and  all  power.  For  he  must  reign 
till  he  hath  put  down  all  enemies  under  his  feet.  The  last 
enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death.  (I  Cor.  15:24, 
25,    26.) 

Do  you  think  St.  Paul  could  have  lived  without  the  apoca- 
lyptic hope?  Do  you  think  even  his  courage  would  have  sur- 
vived despair  without  the  knowledge  that  the  Captain  of  his 
salvation  would  one  day  reassume  command  and  lead  his  hosts 
to  victory?  Do  you  imagine  that  he  found  this  teaching  that 
is  "foreign  to  the  serious  culture  of  our  time,"  foreign  to 
his  own  life  or  without  its  message  to  his  own  soul?  Was  it 
unimportant  or  unnecessary,  or  was  it  the  very  bread  of  life 
on  which  his  soul  fed  and  drew  its  daily  help  and  strength? 

And  now  we  come  to  the  end  of  the  Bible.  The  story  of 
creation  and  redemption  has  been  told.  The  full  truth  that 
one  day  shall  make  all  men  free  has  been  uttered  by  Christ 
and  interpreted  by  his  inspired  disciples.  There  is  nothing 
more  to  be  said  that  is  essential  to  the  personal  and  social 
salvation  of  all  mankind.  There  stretch  out  the  long  and 
apparently  unending  centuries  of  sin  and  strife,  of  crime  and 
injustice,  of  shame  and  war  and  inhumanity,  of  tears  and 
savage  bloodshed.  What  shall  be  the  fate  of  the  Gospel  in 
such  a  history?  How  shall  the  idealism  of  Jesus  fare  in  such 
a  world?  What  shall  the  outcome  be  in  this  gigantic  strug- 
gle between  God  and  Satan,  Christ  and  Caesar,  the  Host  of 
Heaven  and  the  Armies  of  the  Aliens? 

Unto  him  that  loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in 
his  own  blood.  And  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God  and  his  Father;  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  forever 
and  ever.  Amen.  Behold  he  cometh  with  clouds;  and  every 
eye  shall  see  him  and  they  also  which  pierced  him;  and 
all  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.  Even 
so,  Amen.  I,  John,  .  .  .  was  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's 
day  and  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet, 
saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last. 
(Rev.  1:5-11.) 

The  Apocalypse  with  which  the  Bible  closes  is  thus  the  di- 
vine proclamation  of  the  ultimate  victory  of  God's  truth  in 


ETHICAL  VALUE  OF  APOCALYPTICAL  PEOPHECY  41 

spite  of  all  the  contradiction  and  opposition  of  the  ages.  In 
no  more  inspired  way  could  God's  inspired  Book  have  come 
to  its  close. 

In  the  same  way  every  Christian  who  bears  the  Gospel  truth 
in  his  heart  needs  the  apocalyptical  hope.  The  ethics  of  Jesus 
will  not  suffice.  We  must  share  in  his  vision  of  the  final  over- 
throw of  Satan  and  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man.  Without 
such  a  hope,  days  will  come  when  the  powers  of  darkness 
will  seem  so  overwhelming,  the  forces  of  evil  so  irresistible 
and  impregnable  that  we  will  cease  to  believe  in  their  ulti- 
mate destruction.  Our  hearts  will  grow  weary,  our  arms  will 
grow  weak,  our  courage  will  become  faint.  If  in  such  an  hour 
we  can  fall  back  upon  and  be  sustained  by  this  inspiration 
which  has  fired  the  hearts  of  the  apostles  and  martyrs,  we 
will  chant  in  the  very  face  of  the  evil  that  threatens  to  de- 
stroy us: 

"But  lo!  there  breaks  a  yet  more  glorious  day; 
The  saints  triumphant  rise  in  bright  array; 
The  King  of  Glory  passes  on  his  way; 

Alleluia!" 


CHAPTER  IV 

OUTLINE   AND   CONTENTS 

THE  Book  of  Revelation  is  not  a  series  of  disjointed 
chapters  and  disconnected  visions.  It  is  a  carefully 
constructed  drama,  arranged  to  produce  the  maximum  effect. 
No  book  in  the  Bible  betrays  more  literary  skill,  a  surer  dra- 
matic instinct,  or  possesses  greater  unity  of  design  and  ar- 
tistic structure.  Our  study  of  it  proceeds  upon  the  assump- 
tion that,  in  the  main,  it  is  the  work  of  a  single  author,  and 
that  this  author  has  a  plan  of  composition  that  runs  through 
it  from  beginning  to  end.  Both  of  these  statements  are  ques- 
tioned by  many  Bible  students  who  point  out  that  the  Jewish 
apocalypses  are,  with  the  exception  of  the  Book  of  Daniel, 
compilations  from  various  sources,  without  unity  of  author- 
ship or  design.  In  the  same  way  the  art  and  unity  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation  have  been  denied;  and  it  has  been  held 
that  no  consecutive  plan  of  composition  can  successfully  be 
worked   out. 

This  position  is  a  possible  one,  and  the  matter  of  the  unity 
of  certain  portions  of  the  book  is  still  an  open  one  with 
Bible  students.  But  to  the  mind  of  many,  of  whom  the 
writer  of  the  present  study  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  is  one, 
the  unity  of  both  authorship  and  plan  is  clear;  and  it  can 
safely  be  said  that  no  conclusive  argument  against  it  has  so 
far  been  made.1  We  proceed  to  our  examination  of  its  con- 
tents, then,  upon  the  assumption  that  the  book  is  the  single 
work  of  a  single  inspired  writer.  The  following  outline 
will  indicate,  in  a  general  way,  its  plan  and  structure : 2 

1  For   a   discussion    of   the   whole   subject,    see   Beckwith,    pp.    216ff. 

3  This  outline  is  not  closely  followed  in  the  succeeding  chapters. 
It  will,  however,  enable  the  reader  to  grasp  clearly  the  main  argu- 
ment of  the  book  and  the  course  of  its  development. 

42 


OUTLINE  AND  CONTENTS  43 


I.  Introduction.     Chapter  1:1-3. 

Statement  of  the  subject   and  author,   and  exhortation  to 
the  readers   of  the  book. 


II.  Greeting.     Chapter  1:4-8. 

A  salutation  to  the  churches,  and  an  ascription  to  Christ. 

III.  The  Prophet's  Commission.     Chapter  1:9-20. 

A  vision  in  which  the  prophet  receives  his  commission  from 
the  risen  and  glorified  Christ. 

IV.  Messages  to  the  Churches.     Chapters  2-3. 

Introductory  exhortations,  commendations,  and  warnings  to 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia  typical  of  all  churches  then  and 
now. 

V.  Visions  of  God  and  of  Christ.    Chapters  4-5. 

The  infinite  God  and  the  omnipotent  Christ  who  form  the 
eternal  background  of  the  whole  drama  of  the  war  between 
good  and  evil. 

VI.  The  Opening  of  the  Seals  of  the  Book.     Chapter  6. 

A  vision  of  the  destruction  which  God  will  bring  upon  the 
world. 

VII.  The  Salvation  of  the  Faithful.     Chapter  7. 
A  heavenly  interlude  of  comfort  and  hope. 

VIII.  The  Sounding  of  the  Trumpets.     Chapters  8-9. 

The  second  judgments  of  God  on  the  world,  by  nature,  war, 
pestilence,   famine   and   death. 


44    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

IX.  A    Pause    before    the    Last    Judgments.      Chapters    10- 

11 :1-13. 

1.  The  prophet's  new  commission.     Chapter  10. 

2.  The  safety  and  reward  of  the  faithful.    Chapter  11 :1-13. 

X.  Preparation    for    the    Final    Conflict.      Chapters    11:14- 

14:1-20. 

1.  An  anthem  of  praise  for  God's  approaching  victory. 
Chapter  11 :14-19. 

2.  The  powers  of  evil  in  array.     Chapters  12-13. 

a.  Satan.     Chapter  12. 

b.  Rome.     Chapter  13. 

3.  The  opposing  host  of  Christ  and  his  Saints.  Chapter 
14:1-5. 

4.  Warnings  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Chapter 
14:6-20. 

XL  The  Last  Judgments.    Chapters  15-20. 

1.  Vision  of  the  wrath  of  God  in  seven  bowls,  Chapters. 
15,  16.  *         • 

2.  The  Fall  of  Rome.     Chapters  17,  18,  19  :l-5. 

3.  The  Victory  of  Christ.     Chapter  19 :6-21. 

4.  The  Fall  of  Satan.     Chapter  20 :1-10. 

5.  The  General   Resurrection.     Chapters   20:11-25. 

XII.  The  Heavenly  City.     Chapters  21,  22  :l-5. 
XIII.  The  Epilogue.     Chapters  22:6-21. 

A  careful  examination  of  this  outline  will  reveal  the  artistic 
and  dramatic  structure  of  the  book  and  the  skill  and  effec- 
tiveness with  which  it  develops  its  theme.  There  is  first  the 
solemn  introduction,  with  its  blessing  upon  all  who  hear 
and  keep  the  words  of  this  prophecy.  This  is  followed  by 
the  salutation  in  the  form  made  familiar  in  the  letters  of  St. 


OUTLINE  AND  CONTENTS  45 

Paul,  with  its  eloquent  ascription  to  Christ.  The  author 
then  tells  how  he  was  commissioned  to  write  the  book.  In  a 
vision  he  sees  the  omnipotent  Christ  who  is  described  in  the 
language  of  Ezekiel  and  Daniel  and  Zachariah,  and  who  com- 
mands the  prophet  to  write  the  things  which  he  has  seen  to 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia. 

These  chapters,  which  contain  the  messages  to  the  churches, 
are  among  the  most  familiar  in  the  book.  With  their  re- 
iterated refrain  of  promise  to  him  that  overcometh,  they  are 
constructed  with  singular  literary  skill  and  spiritual  elo- 
quence. In  spite  of  local  allusions,  their  main  message  is 
still  applicable  to  the  church  at  any  period  of  trials,  worldli- 
ness  or  apostasy.  Before  revealing  the  powers  of  evil  and  the 
judgments  of  God  upon  them,  the  writer  then  proceeds  in  two 
magnificent  chapters  to  give  us  the  eternal  background,  as  it 
were,  against  which  all  of  the  coming  drama  is  to  be  enacted 
(chapters  4  and  5).  A  sense  of  assurance  and  permanence  is 
at  once  created  in  the  hearts  of  his  readers.  It  is  as  if  before 
portraying  scenes  of  great  trial  and  suffering  the  words  were 
set  down: 

Heaven    and   earth    shall    pass    away,    but   my   words    shall 
not  pass  away.     (Matt.  24:35.) 

Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid: 

Jesus  Christ,  the   same  yesterday,   and  to-day   and  forever. 
(I  Cor.  3:11,  Heb.  13:8.) 

A  door  is  opened  and  the  seer  passes  through  it  and  sees 
God  upon  his  throne,  the  Ancient  of  Days  who  sitteth  throned 
in  glory,  surrounded  by  the  elders,  and  by  all  the  heavenly 
host  who  worship  Him  day  and  night,  saying: 

Thou    art   worthy,   O   Lord,   to   receive   glory   and   honour 
and  power.     (Eev.  4:  11.) 

The  prophet  observes  that  God  holds  a  book  in  his  right  hand, 
a  roll  sealed  with  seven  seals.  "It  is  the  book  of  human  des- 
tiny."    Christ  alone  is  worthy  to  break  the  seals  of  the  roll 


46     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

and  to  reveal  the  future.  He  is  the  Lamb  that  has  been 
slain.  "Amid  choruses  of  praise  which  accompany  the  action 
through  the  whole  work  like  the  lyric  choruses  of  a  Greek 
tragedy,"1  the  Lamb  takes  the  book  and  one  by  one  breaks 
the  seven  seals.    The  visions  of  the  future  begin. 

The  opening  of  the  seals  of  the  book  is  a  pictorial  way  of 
describing  the  judgments  of  God  upon  an  evil  world,  which, 
for  the  author,  is  represented  by  the  Roman  Empire.  The 
four  horses  with  their  riders  typify  this  punishment  in  its 
various  forms  as  conquest,  war,  famine  and  pestilence.  At 
the  fifth  seal,  the  souls  of  the  martyrs  cry  for  vengeance. 
When  the  sixth  seal  is  broken  we  have  great  convulsions  of 
nature   (chapter  6). 

Before  the  seventh  seal  is  broken,  however,  we  have  an 
interruption.  These  chapters,  we  need  to  remember,  are  writ- 
ten to  Christians  who  may  already  have  suffered  martyrdom, 
and  for  whom  persecution  is  still  in  store.  With  a  touch  of 
spiritual  genius,  a  passage  of  consolation  and  inspiration 
is  inserted  before  the  final  woe  is  pronounced.  In  the 
familiar  seventh  chapter  a  promise  of  immortality  is  given  to 
all  those  not  only  of  the  household  of  Israel  but  of  all  na- 
tions and  kindreds  who  have  come  victoriously  througk  tribu- 
lation into  the  blessedness  of  the  redeemed. 

The  seventh  seal  is  then  opened.  But  instead  of  bringing 
the  end,  it  introduces  a  new  series  of  seven,  the  seven  blasts 
of  trumpets  (chapters  8  and  9).  By  this  literary  device,  the 
author  succeeds  in  his  purpose  of  suggesting  a  long  panorama 
of  events,  an  indefinite  period  of  trial,  and  the  obstinate  re- 
sistance of  evil.  It  is  to  be  no  short  struggle.  Victory  is  not 
to  be  won  by  a  brief  campaign.  These  two  chapters  are 
given  to  a  description,  highly  colored  with  apocalyptical 
imagery,  of  the  judgments  following  the  sounding  of  six 
trumpets.  Again  we  await  the  consummation  with  the  sound- 
ing of  the  seventh  trumpet;  but  once  more  the  end  is  delayed. 
The  climax  is  to  be  still  more  portentous. 

1  See  J.   H.   Ropes,  Harvard  Theological  Review,  Oct.   1919,   p.   419. 


OUTLINE  AND  CONTENTS  47 

The  effect  is  further  increased  by  what  follows  before  the 
sounding  of  the  last  trumpet.  The  prophet  receives  a  fresh 
commission  as  if  he  needed  to  be  still  further  equipped  for 
the  task  that  remains  (chapter  10).  Once  more  comes  the 
assurance  that  the  faithful  shall  be  preserved  and  that  their 
witness  cannot  be  destroyed.  Vast  celestial  preparations  are 
made  for  the  impending  and  final  conflict.  A  pasan  of  praise 
is  sung  to  God  (chapter  11) ;  the  forces  of  the  enemy  are  set 
in  array,  the  apparently  irresistible  forces  of  Satan  and  of 
the  Roman  Empire  (chapters  12  and  13).  Over  against  these 
are  marshalled  the  Lamb  and  the  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  thousand  of  his  saints;  and  a  warning  goes  forth  from 
the  lips  of  angels  to  all  upon  the  earth:  "Fear  God  and  give 
glory  to  him,  for  the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come"  (chap- 
ter 14). 

This  final  judgment  is  pictured  to  us  in  the  emptying  of 
seven  bowls,  such  as  were  used  for  pouring  libations  at  an 
altar.  The  wrath  of  God  is  poured  out  upon  a  wicked  world 
(chapters  15,  16);  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord 
is  come. 

And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air; 
and  there  came  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven 
.  .  .  saying,  It  is  done  .  .  .  and  great  Babylon  came  in  re- 
membrance before  God  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine 
of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath.     (Rev.  16:17,  19.) 

In  lurid  language  and  with  an  unparalleled  eloquence  of 
spiritual  emotion  and  triumph  the  downfall  of  Rome  is  por- 
trayed for  us,  with  all  her  luxury  and  glory  and  pride  (chap- 
ters 17,  18): 

Rejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and 
prophets;  for  God  hath  avenged  you  on  her  .  .  .  And  in  her 
was  found  the  blood  of  prophets  and  of  saints  and  of  all 
that  were   slain   upon   the   earth.      (Rev.   18:  20,   24.) 

The  destruction  of  Rome  is  followed  by  a  chorus  of  praise, 
as  a  multitude  chants  with  the  voice  of  many  waters: 

Alleluia,  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.  (Rev. 
19:6.)  . 


48    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF.  REVELATION 

The  Messiah  has  come,  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords 
(chapter  19).  And  the  victory  of  the  Lamb  means  not  only 
the  fall  of  Rome  but  the  final  defeat  of  Satan,  who  may  indeed 
break  loose  again  for  a  while  but  shall  eventually  be 

cast  into   the  lake   of  fire  and  brimstone  .  .  .  and  shall  be 
tormented    day    and   night   forever    and    ever.      (Eev.    20:10.) 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  and  the  first 
heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away.     (Rev.  21:1.) 

So  beautifully  begins  the  closing  chapters  of  the  book,  with 
a  sweet  strain  of  heavenly  harmony  after  the  thunders  and 
lightnings,  the  earthquakes  and  judgments  of  the  barbaric  de- 
scriptions of  the  destruction  of  evil  in  the  preceding  chapters. 
It  is  like  listening  to  a  pastoral  symphony  after  hearing  the 
tumult  of  brass  instruments  and  cymbals  and  kettle-drums  in 
the  thunder  of  the  orchestra.  This  is  followed  by  the  familiar 
description  of  the  Heavenly  City,  the  salvation  of  the  saints, 
and  eternal  joy  of  those  who  have  been  faithful  unto  death. 

Surely  I  come  quickly.  Amen.  Even  so  come  Lord  Jesus. 
The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen. 
(Rev.  22:20,  21.) 

Such  is  the  Book  of  Revelation.  It  is  an  Apocalypse  de- 
scribing for  the  Christians  of  the  day  in  which  it  was  written 
the  sure  destruction  of  Rome  by  the  armies  of  God  and  the 
power  of  Christ.  It  is  an  exhortation  to  endure,  to  be  patient 
and  steadfast  in  the  sure  knowledge  that  victory  has  been 
prepared  for  them.  The  book  contains  untold  inspiration  for 
all  Christians  in  that  it  contains  the  great  Social  Hope  without 
which  they  cannot  be  faithful  unto  death  and  so  receive  the 
crown  of  life. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   INTRODUCTION   AND   THE  MESSAGES  TO   THE   CHURCHES 

Revelation,  Chapters  1-3 

WE  do  not  know  who  is  the  author  of  the  Book  of 
Revelation.  The  traditional  view  is  that  he  was  the 
Apostle  John,  the  supposed  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel. 
Scholars  are,  however,  agreed  that  the  author  of  the  Fourth 
Gospel  and  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  cannot  be  the  same 
person.  The  difference  in  style  and  in  religious  conceptions  is 
too  great,  and  the  supposed  similarities  are  too  slight.  Neither 
is  there  anything  to  prove  that  the  author  was  the  Apostle 
John.  There  is  no  claim  anywhere  in  the  book  of  apostolic 
authorship.  There  are  no  personal  references  in  it.  The 
writer  nowhere  indicates  that  he  had  known  the  historic  Jesus, 
and  the  pictures  of  Christ  are  different  from  those  which  would 
have  been  drawn  by  one  who  had  been  associated  with  Him 
in  his  earthly  ministry. 

All  that  we  know  of  the  author  is  that  he  gives  his  name 
as  John  and  that  he  was  contemporary  to  the  events  which 
he  describes,  and  a  brother  and  fellow  in  trial  of  those  to 
whom  he  writes. 

Chapter  I 

1.  The  Superscription  (1:1-3)  with  which  the  first  chap- 
ter opens  is  a  solemn  introduction  to  the  whole  book.  The 
real  author  of  the  book,  we  are  told,  is  Christ,  who  receives 
the  revelation  which  is  to  follow  from  God  and  communicates 
it  through  an  angel  to  John.  The  revelation  is  the  authori- 
tative word  of  God.     Those  to  whom  it  is  written  are  ex- 

49 


50    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

horted  to  give  heed  to  it,  to  listen  attentively  to  these  prophe- 
cies since  they  tell  of  impending  events,  of  things  which  are 
to  happen  without  delay.  In  this  section,  brief  as  it  is,  there 
are  spiritual  lessons  of  much  meaning.  First,  the  Bible  and 
the  whole  Gospel  message  is  an  authoritative  revelation.  Our 
whole  attitude  toward  Christianity  is  much  weakened  if  we 
think  of  it  as  a  system  of  thought  rather  than  as  a  true  revela- 
tion of  God.  How  much  our  Christian  thinking  would  be 
strengthened  if  we  would  preface  it  with  this  superscription! 
Put  these  words  above  your  creed  and  see  if  it  is  not  ennobled 
thereby.  Second,  God  makes  one  man  the  channel  of  his 
communication  to  other  men.  This  channel  is  never  closed, 
and  there  is  likely  to  be  given  to  any  of  God's  children  a 
special  message  of  which  he  is  the  chosen  mouthpiece.  How 
much  our  religious  lives  are  enriched  by  this  idea  in  their 
relation  both  to  God  and  to  our  fellowmen!  Third,  John 
"bare  record."  He  faithfully  reproduced  what  had  been 
communicated  to  him.  There  was  no  loss  in  transmission. 
What  he  received,  he  gave.  This  fidelity  in  the  stewardship 
of  spiritual  gifts  is  insisted  upon  both  in  the  Gospels  and  in 
the  Epistles.  To-day  a  chief  cause  of  the  lack  of  religious 
interest  is  the  ineffective  and  unconvincing  lives  of  Christian 
people.  How  much  it  would  mean  if  every  disciple  of  Christ 
should  "witness"  in  such  a  way  as  faithfully  to  reproduce  the 
Gospel  in  his  life!  Fourth,  the  book  is  to  be  read,  we  are 
told,  because  of  impending  events.  "The  times  are  at  hand." 
These  words  are  important  as  indicating  that  the  book  is 
focused  upon  immediate  historical  events  and  is  not  concerned 
with  distant  millennial  happenings.  Just  so  in  our  own  lives, 
this  book  should  be  used  not  as  a  guide  to  mysterious  events 
in  the  future,  but  as  a  practical  inspiration  for  immediate 
trials  of  our  faith  and  patience.  A  blessing  awaits  the  de- 
vout mind  which  receives  and  observes  the  prophecies  of 
this  book. 

Chapter    1:1.      This    is   the   Bevelation    of    Christ    Himself, 
who   received   it   from   God   that   He   might   disclose   to  his 


INTRODUCTION   AND    MESSAGES    TO   CHURCHES       51 

servants  what  is  about  to  happen.  Through  an  angel,  Jesus 
communicated  this  revelation  to  John,  2.  who  transmitted 
faithfully  all  things  that  he  saw.  3.  Blessed  the  man  who 
reads  and  hears  and  lays  to  heart  what  is  here  recorded, 
for  the  time  is   come  when  it  shall  be  fulfilled. 

Notes  v.  1  Revelation  used  only  in  the  New  Testament  in 
the  sense  of  an  unfolding  of  future  events.  For  other  uses, 
see  Lk.  12:2;  Rom.  8:19,  16:25;  Gal.  1:12;  II  Thess.  2:8. 
The  full  name  Jesus  Christ  used  only  in  this  chapter  (and 
22:21).  Elsewhere  Jesus  is  used.  Shortly  come  to  pass  i.e., 
the  book  deals  with  contemporary  and  not  with  mediaeval  or 
modern  history,  v.  3  The  book  is  to  be  read  publicly  in  the 
churches,  together  with  the  Old  Testament  (I  Tim.  4:13) 
and  the  writings  of  the  Apostles  (Col.  4:16;  I  Thess.  5:27). 

2.  The  Introduction  (1:4-8).  John  greets  the  seven  churches 
in  Asia,  invoking  upon  them  the  grace  and  peace  of  God  and 
of  Christ.  God  is  here  described,  as  many  times  in  the  book, 
with  the  attribute  of  timelessness.  By  the  seven  (the  perfect 
number)  spirits,  is  meant  the  spirit  of  God  Himself,  "per- 
fect and  one  in  its  various  workings."  Christ  has  been  a 
faithful  witness,  and  was  raised  from  the  dead  to  be  the 
divine  ruler  of  men.  There  follows  this  beautiful  ascription 
to  Christ,  one  of  the  most  familiar  in  the  New  Testament 
and  one  which  must  have  been  unspeakably  eloquent  to  the 
persecuted  Christians  to  whom  it  first  came,  since  it  reminded 
them  that  Christ  gained  his  heavenly  peace  through  suffering, 
that  his  love  will  not  only  cleanse  us  from  sin  but  will  exalt 
us  to  be  kings  and  priests  with  Him.  It  is  this  Christ  who 
is  coming  to  judge  the  world  (Dan.  7:13;  Zech.  12:10). 
God  attests  this  by  his  Name  (Ex.  3:14;  Isaiah  44:6,  48:12). 

This  passage  is  of  great  interest  in  the  development  of 
Christian  doctrine,  since  we  have  here  a  loosely  formulated 
Trinitarian  formula.  The  unique  thing  about  it  is  that  the 
Spirit  is  put  second  and  not  third.  The  ascription  to  Christ, 
who  is  given  divine  prerogatives,  is  evidence  of  the  impres- 
sion produced  by  the  personality  of  Christ  and  by  the  real- 


52    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

ities  of  Christian  experience  upon  the  mind  of  this  Jewish 
Christian  writer,  "a  true  son  of  a  race  with  which  monotheism 
had  become  a  passion."  The  description  of  God  contains  the 
important  idea  of  God  as  a  living  and  active  participant  in 
the  affairs  of  men.  "Him  who  is  and  was  and  is  to  come" 
implies  his  presence.  It  means  God  is  here.  All  great  relig- 
ious characters  have  lived  and  labored  in  that  persuasion. 
It  is  the  ground  of  the  Social  Hope.  The  earliest  Gospel  in- 
sists upon  the  close  connection  between  Christ  and  freedom 
from  slavery  to  sin;  from  the  first  it  has  been  "freedom  for 
service";  for  we  are  to  be  citizens  of  a  spiritual  kingdom, 
having  like  priests,  access  to  God  in  order  that  we  may 
minister  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  men.  Early  in  the  book  the 
idea  is  conveyed,  which  runs  through  it  to  the  end,  of  an 
omnipotent  Christ  overthrowing  evil  and  discomfiting  his 
foes.  The  idea,  familiar  to  readers  of  Paul's  letters  (Rom. 
8:37;  I  Cor.  15:24)  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  is  here 
given  true  expression.  This  spiritual  idea  will  lie  at  the  root 
of  the  Christian  faith  in  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  In 
the  end,  that  is,  it  is  to  be  a  Christ  victorious.  In  that  faith 
we  can  labor  with  serenity  and  hope.  This  is  the  source  and 
unshakable  basis  of  the  Christian  optimism  which  is  one  of 
the  outstanding  characteristics  of  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

Chapter  1:4.  John  greets  the  seven  churches  in  Asia 
with  the  blessing  of  God  and  of  the  spirits  of  God  perfect 
in  all  their  manifestations,  5.  and  of  Christ  who  was  a 
faithful  witness  and  was  raised  from  the  dead  and  made 
the  ruler  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  To  Him  who  by  his 
love  not  only  redeemed  us  from  sin,  6.  but  made  us  also 
to  be  kings  and  priests,  be  glory  and  power  forever.  7. 
Look,  He  comes  upon  the  clouds  and  all  shall  see  Him  who 
crucified  Him  and  shall  be  filled  with  terror  and  dismay. 
8.  I,  the  Lord  God,  who  am  and  who  was,  shall  also  come, 
even  the  Almighty. 

Notes  v.  4  John  He  is  evidently  so  well  known  to  his 
readers  that  further  identification  is  unnecessary.  Seven 
churches  Many  other  churches  are  known  to  have  existed  in 
the  province    (e.g.   Colossae,   Col.   1:2,   Troas,  II   Cor.  2:12). 


INTRODUCTION   AND    MESSAGES    TO   CHURCHES       53 

These  seven  represent  not  only  all  churches  in  Asia,  but  the 
whole  church  in  the  world.  It  is  a  book  with  a  universal 
message  to  a  universal  church.  Seven  spirits  (See  3:1,  4:5, 
5:6.)  The  Holy  Spirit  is  meant.  The  figure  is  taken  from 
Zech.  4:2-10.  v.  5  first-begotten  See  Col.  1:18;  prince  (or 
ruler),  i.e.,  the  common  Messianic  conception  of  Christ.  (See 
17:14,  19:16.)  v.  6  (See  Dan.  7:18,  27;  I  Cor.  6:2.  See  also 
Ex.  19:6.)  v.  7  (See  Matt.  24:30;  Mark  13:26;  Luke  21:27. 
Also,  Zech.  12:10-12.)  v.  8  An  unannounced  change  of 
speaker  is  common  with  the  writer.  (See  16:15,  18:20.) 
For  this  thought  of  God,  cf.  Isa.  41:4,  44:6,  48:12.  In  22:13 
practically  this  same  language  is  applied  to  Christ. 

3.  The  Prophet's  Call  and  Commission  (1:9-20).  The  au- 
thor describes  in  detail  how  he  was  commissioned  to  give 
this  prophecy.  In  this,  he  follows  the  example  of  many  of 
the  Old  Testament  prophets.  (1)  With  the  aid  of  a  good  map 
and  reference  to  W.  M.  Ramsay's  "The  Letters  to  the  Seven 
Churches,"  the  reader  will  study  the  geography  of  Asia 
Minor,  and  familiarize  himself  with  the  topography  of  the 
whole  region.  Patmos  was  an  island  lying  about  fifteen  miles 
off  the  coast  from  Ephesus.  It  was  some  thirty  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, and  thither  exiles  were  sent  to  work  in  the  mines 
and  marble  quarries.  (2)  Read  Dan.  10:5-9  and  Zech.  4:4-6, 
and  see  how  closely  in  his  description  of  Christ  the  author 
has  followed  the  "apocalyptical  model."  This  imagery  is  not 
original  with  the  writer,  but  is  adopted  from  the  Jewish 
literature  with  which  he  is  familiar.  (3)  Note  the  tender  way 
in  which  the  author  speaks  of  himself  as  their  brother  and 
fellow  in  their  sufferings.  In  "the  tribulation  and  kingdom" 
they  were  partakers  together.  Thus  in  every  moment  of  social 
stress  and  struggle  the  modern  Christian  may  feel  himself 
to  be  the  companion  of  the  apostles  and  martyr  of  all  the 
ages.  (4)  Think  of  the  hope  expressed  in  the  faith  that  the 
living  Christ  was  in  the  sphere  in  which  they  lived  and  labored 
and  suffered.  This  has  been  ever  since  the  source  of  the 
abounding  social  hope  of  all  Christians.     Compare  Kingsley's 


54    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

words:  "I  am  struggling  through  infinite  darkness  and  chaos 
by  means  of  one  great  bright  pathway  which  I  find  to  be 
the  only  escape  from  infinite  confusion,  the  only  explanation 
of  a  thousand  human  mysteries — I  mean  the  Incarnation  of 
our  Lord."  Compare  also  Hebrews  2 :8,  9,  where,  in  the 
midst  of  a  ruined  world  the  writer  is  full  of  courage  because 
he  can  "see  Jesus,"  although  "now  we  see  not  yet  all  things  put 
under  him."  There  is  no  substitute  for  this  vision  of  Christ 
as  the  sure  ground  of  social  optimism.  Only  to  those  who 
share  this  vision  can  the  words  be  spoken,  "Fear  not."  (5) 
The  question  of  whether  these  visions  were  an  objective  reality 
or  not  is  not  one  upon  which  one  can  dogmatize.  An  objective 
experience  of  this  kind  lay  behind  the  life  and  work  of  St. 
Paul,  of  St.  Augustine,  of  St.  Francis  and  of  Martin  Luther, 
to  mention  only  a  few  outstanding  historical  examples.  One 
would  need  to  know  more  than  is  known  about  religious  psy 
chology  to  assert  that  the  visions  in  this  book  were  a  mere 
literary  device;  at  the  same  time  the  value  and  moral  meaning 
of  the  Book  of  Revelation  do  not  depend  on  any  one  theory 
concerning  the  nature  of  visions.  (6)  Note  the  suggestive 
symbolism  of  the  churches,  (a)  Each  church  has  a  person- 
ality of  its  own.  There  are  seven  distinct  and  separate  lamps, 
(b)  The  function  of  the  church  is  to  give  light,  whether  as 
a  lamp  within  or  as  a  star  shining  overhead,  (c)  This  light 
is  drawn  from  Christ  Himself,  who  walks  among  them  that 
He  may  replenish  them  and  keep  them  burning. 

"0    make   thy   church,    dear    Saviour, 
A  lamp  of  burnished  gold 
To  bear  before  the  nations 
Thy  true  light  as  of  old." 

Chapter  1:9.  I,  John,  your  companion  in  faith  and  afflic- 
tion, was  in  the  island  of  Patmos  in  banishment  because  I 
preached  the  Gospel.  10.  On  the  Lord's  day  I  was  inspired, 
so  that  I  heard  a  loud  voice  11.  commanding  me  to  write 
what  I  heard  to  the  seven  chief  churches  in  Asia.  12. 
When  I  turned  to  see  who  spoke,  13.  I  saw  Christ  Himself 


INTRODUCTION   AND   MESSAGES    TO   CHURCHES       55 

standing  in  the  midst  of  seven  candlesticks.  He  was  clothed 
like  a  priest,  14.  but  his  aspect  was  kingly,  with  flaming 
eyes  and  15.  shining  feet  and  a  voice  like  the  roaring  sea. 
16.  He  had  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand  and  a  sword 
came  out  of  his  mouth.  17.  I  was  overcome  at  the  sight. 
But  he  touched  me  and  told  me  not  to  be  afraid,  saying: 
18.  I,  too,  am  first  and  last,  and  am  alive  forever  and  have 
gained  authority  over  Death.  19.  Write  the  things  that 
you  have  seen  and  shall  see.  20.  The  meaning  of  the 
stars  and  the  candlesticks  is  this:  the  candlesticks  are 
the   churches,   and   the   stars   are   their   angels,   their   spirit. 

Notes  v.  9  The  personal  reference  (cf.  Dan.  8:1,  10:2; 
II  Esdras  2:42,  3:1)  is  to  emphasize  the  fellowship  between 
writer  and  reader.  For  the  testimony  i.e.  because  of,  in  ban- 
ishment for  preaching  the  Gospel,  v.  10  A  state  of  ecstasy  is 
meant,  (cf.  4:2,  17:3,  21:10.  See  also  Acts  22:17,  II  Cor. 
12:3,  4.)  Lord's  Day  i.e.  the  first  day  of  the  week.  (I  Cor. 
16:2;  Acts  20:7.)  The  expression  is  here  used  for  the  first 
time,  but  it  must  already  have  been  in  common  use.  V.  12 
For  the  lamp-stand  as  symbol  of  the  church,  cf.  Matt.  5:14, 
Phil.  2:15.  (See  Zech.  4.)  v.  13ff.  This  description  of  Christ 
(v.  17)  is  taken  from  Dan.  10:5-6,  7:9.  We  touch  thus  early 
on  the  "exalted  Christology"  of  this  book.  The  sword  in 
the  mouth  (v.  16)  occurs  frequently  in  the  book  (cf.  2:12, 
16,  19:15,  21.  See  also  Isa.  11:4;  Heb.  4:12).  v.  16  Stars 
(Possibly  suggested  by  Dan.  12:3)  These  are  another  symbol 
of  the  churches.  If  lamp-stands  suggests  the  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  church,  the  stars  suggest  his  power  to  uphold  it. 
v.  17  (See  Ezek.  1:28;  Dan.  8:17;  Matt.  17:6;  Acts  26:14.) 
v.  18  Keys  cf.  the  expression  "gates  of  death."  Hades  was 
popularly  looked  upon  as  a  prison-house  of  the  dead  (cf. 
Matt.  16:19;  Rev.  3:7,  9:1,  20:1).  v.  19  The  things  which  the 
prophet  has  seen  are  defined  in  the  two  clauses  which  follow 
(and  not  in  what  has  preceded)  :  viz.  (1)  the  present  con- 
dition of  the  churches,  and  the  Lord's  special  message  to  them, 
as  well  as  the  present  and  eternal  presence  of  God  and  of 
Christ  ("the  things  that  are"),  and  (2)  the  coming  judg- 
ments and  their  results   ("the  things  that  shall  be"),     v.  20 


56    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Mystery,  i.e.  something  secret,  which  is  disclosed  only  to 
special  persons,  in  special  ways.  (See  Dan.  2:18;  Rev. 
17:5,  7.) 

4.  The  Messages  to  the  Churches  (chapters  2,  3).  All  of 
these  messages  must  be  studied  in  two  ways:  first,  with  re- 
spect to  the  immediate  historical  situation,  and,  second,  in 
their  broader  aspect  as  spiritual  messages  to  the  church 
universal.  Even  in  the  writer's  day,  the  number  seven  was 
symbolic.  There  were  many  more  churches  in  Asia  than  these 
seven.  The  number  is  used  to  include  them  all.  In  an  even 
more  inclusive  sense,  the  number  seven  can  be  taken  to  in- 
clude all  churches  of  whatever  age  or  clime.  "The  idea  that 
the  individual  church  is  part  of  the  universal  church,  that  it 
stands  for  it  after  the  usual  symbolic  fashion  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, is  never  far  from  the  writer's  mind.  And  he  passes 
rapidly  between  the  two  points  of  view,  the  direct  address  to 
the  local  church  .  .  .  and  the  general  application  ...  to 
the  entire  Church  as  symbolised  by  the  particular  local 
church."  *  Our  study  of  the  messages  will  have  regard  to  both 
of  these  viewpoints.  The  reader  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
tracing  the  materials  in  these  chapters  to  their  sources  in  the 
Old  Testament.  The  reader  will  also  bear  in  mind  that  these 
messages  are  not  to  be  considered  as  a  section  by  themselves 
as  if  they  had  no  relation  to  what  precedes  and  follows.  That 
connection,  on  the  contrary,  is  very  close.  If  you  take  the 
seven  descriptions  of  Christ  in  the  letters  and  put  them  to- 
gether, you  will  have  the  full  description  of  Christ  as  found 
in  chapter  I.  The  author  is  carrying  out  in  detail  his  idea 
of  the  living  Christ  present  in  the  actual  life  of  the  churches. 
Furthermore,  it  is  the  author's  evident  dramatic  purpose  to 
address  solemn  words  of  exhortation  and  warning  to  the 
churches  to  overcome  and  to  hold  fast  and  let  no  man  take 
their  crown,  before  proceeding  to  unfold  the  terrible  panorama 
of  the  triumphant  struggle  of  Christ  with  Satan,  of  the 
church  with  the  Roman   Empire. 

1  See   Ramsay,   op.   cit,  pp.    200,   206. 


INTRODUCTION    AND    MESSAGES    TO   CHURCHES        57 

(1)   The  Message  to  the  Church  at  Ephesus  (2:1-7) 

Ephesus  was  at  this  time  the  foremost  city  of  Asia  Minor  in 
rank,  historical  importance  and  wealth.  It  was  a  great  com- 
mercial center,  and  also  the  home  of  many  non-Christian  re- 
ligious cults,  and  the  site  of  the  famous  Temple  of  Diana.  At 
the  time  that  this  book  was  written,  adherents  of  the  "Nicolai- 
tans"  who  had  defended  unchastity  and  idolatry,  had  preached 
there.  But  the  church  had  rejected  them  and  resisted  their 
teaching.  Evidently,  however,  brotherly  love  had  suffered  in 
the  struggle,  and  this  the  church  is  exhorted  to  regain. 

Chapter  2:1.  To  the  guardian-angel  of  the  church  at 
Ephesus  write:  He  who  controls  and  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  churches,  says,  2,  3.  I  am  aware  of  your  patient  endur- 
ance and  your  refusal  to  tolerate  evil  men  and  faljse 
apostles.  4.  Yet  you  have  lost  something  of  your  brotherly 
love.  5.  This  you  must  recover  upon  penalty  of  losing  your 
position  as  a  true  church  of  Christ.  6.  Your  zeal  against 
the  Nicolaitans  is  praiseworthy.  7.  He  who  is  victorious 
shall  eat  of  the  tree  of  life. 

Notes  The  reader  will  familiarize  himself  with  the  city  of 
Ephesus,  its  location,  wealth,  influence.  (See  Acts  19 :21ff. 
Also  W.  M.  Ramsay,  St.  Paul,  the  Roman  Citizen;  and  The 
Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches,  pp.  210ff.  Also  Hastings' 
Bible  Dictionary  in  loco.)  v.  1  The  message  is  to  the  angel 
of  the  church:  i.e.  the  church's  real  spirit,  or  as  we  might 
say  "better  self";  that  "self  which  is  always  stimulated  to  con- 
sciousness whenever  God's  voice  is  truly  heard  by  it."  It  is 
always  to  the  angel  in  the  church  (or  in  us)  that  God  speaks. 
v.  2  I  know  thy  works.  "Every  act  of  faith,  every  ministry 
of  self-denial,  every  humble  acceptance  of  the  Cross  .  .  . 
has  its  record  in  heaven."  *  Think  how  insignificant  was  this 
handful  of  Christians  in  great  pagan  Ephesus.  What  an  en- 
couraging example  to  any  little  congregation  that  feels  itself 
to  be  lost  amid  its  surrounding  worldliness!  Apostles,  i.e. 
itinerant  preachers.     (See  II  Cor.  11:5,  13,  12:11.)      Warn- 

1  Scott,  p.  56. 


58    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

ings  against  false  teachers  appear  throughout  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  is  a  great  power  which  belonged  to  that  church  to 
distinguish  between  the  true  and  the  false.  To-day  in  the 
midst  of  many  "strange  doctrines"  and  aberrations  from  the 
simplicity  of  Christ,  it  is  a  distinction  if  the  church  can  "di- 
vine where  real  right  doth  lie"  and  hold  to  the  norm  of  Chris- 
tian truth,  v.  3  Note  that  this  church  already  had  suffered 
severe  persecutions.  These  are  the  background  of  the  whole 
book  of  Revelation,  v.  4  Love  in  its  outward  and  social  mani- 
festations, in  its  objective  power  and  initiative  is  the  true 
"thermometer"  of  the  life  of  the  church,  v.  5  For  an  ingenious 
explanation  of  this  as  a  change  in  geographical  location,  see 
Ramsay,  "Seven  Churches,"  p.  245.  v.  6  No  matter  how  often 
we  may  fail,  to  hate  what  God  hates  is  to  be  in  the  way  of 
salvation,  v.  7  The  tree  of  life  in  the  Paradise  of  God — thus 
the  last  book  of  the  Bible  joins  hands  with  the  first.  What 
man  was  forbidden  to  eat  there  because  of  sin,  he  is  bidden 
to  eat  here  because  he  has  been  "washed  and  made  clean." 

(2)   The  Letter  to  Smyrna   (2:8-11) 

Smyrna,  a  city  of  great  antiquity,  is  the  only  one  of  the 
seven  cities  that  to-day  is  of  any  importance.  Its  prosperity 
is  due  to  its  wonderful  seaport  location.  In  New  Testament 
times  it  rivaled  Ephesus  in  importance,  was  closely  bound  to 
Rome,  and  was  the  chosen  site  of  the  Temple  built  in  honor 
of  the  Emperor  Tiberius.  In  such  an  environment  the  primi- 
tive church  confronted  overwhelming  odds.  Up  to  this  time 
Smyrna  had  been  free  from  Roman,  persecutions,  which, 
however,  are  about  to  begin.  Their  trial,  like  St.  Paul's, 
had  been  at  the  hands  of  the  Jews.  We  see  here  the  transi- 
tion from  the  one  to  the  other.  The  tomb  of  Polycarp  the 
Martyr  (155  A.D.),  still  shown  at  Smyrna,  is  witness  both 
to  the  reality  and  also  to  the  end  of  the  persecution  of  the 
church  at  Smyrna.  How  much  it  needed,  how  much  we  need 
to-day,  the  comfort  of  Him  who  is  the  present  Christ,  and  who 


INTRODUCTION   AND    MESSAGES    TO   CHURCHES        59 

Himself  came  out  of  death  into  life !  Not  a  word  of  blame  is 
attached  to  this  church  of  Christ's  poor;  only  the  unforget- 
table promise  of  the  crown  of  life.  By  the  crown  is  to  be 
understood  not  a  material  object,  like  the  laurel  wreaths 
of  the  victor,  but  the  spiritual  reward  of  a  larger  and  more 
abundant  life.     This  is  the  true  Christian  doctrine  of  reward. 

Chapter  2:8.  To  the  guardian-angel  of  the  church  of 
Smyrna  write:  He  who  died  and  lives  eternally  says:  9.  I 
know  your  steadfastness  amid  the  persecutions  of  those  who 
falsely  call  themselves  Jesus.  10.  Do  not  fear  the  even 
worse  trials  which  are  about  to  befall  you.  Be  faithful 
and  you  will  win  the  martyrs'  prize.  11.  The  conqueror 
will  suffer  the  death  of  the  body  but  not  of  the  soul. 

Notes  Read  about  Smyrna.  (See  Ramsay,  "The  Letter  to 
the  Seven  Churches,"  op.  cit.  pp.  251ff,  and  other  authorities). 
v.  9  Throughout  the  Book  of  Revelation  the  Christian  is,  to 
the  mind  of  the  writer,  the  true  Jew.  v.  10  In  the  expression 
ten  days  we  have  the  first  of  many  time  indications  to  be 
found  in  the  book.  The  symbolism  of  numbers  in  apocalypti- 
cal writing  precludes  the  possibility  of  understanding  them 
literally  when  referring  to  extension  in  time  or  space.  When 
they  refer  to  objects,  the  writer  doubtless  has  a  definite  number 
in  mind.  But  in  regard  to  time  and  space  the  numbers  de- 
note generalized  ideas:  such  as  completeness,  perfection, 
(three,  seven,  twelve) ;  or  unknown  duration  (as  a  thousand 
years) ;  or  a  broken  period  of  time  (three  and  three  and  a 
half  and  its  multiples).  The  effort  to  construct  actual  time- 
tables of  events  out  of  this  symbolic  use  of  numbers  can  only 
be  called  grotesque.  The  student  will  recall  how  this  numeri- 
cal symbolism  is  carried  over  from  Jewish  writings  (See  Dan. 
9:25;  12:11,  12).  Ten  days  The  writer  here  means  to  convey 
the  idea  that  the  time  of  persecution  will  be  brief  and  definite. 
The  fact  that  a  fixed  time  is  set  for  the  triumph  of  evil  is  one 
of  the  characteristic  comforts  in  all  apocalypses.  A  reviving 
of  this  idea  would  have  much  to  do  with  the  invigoration  of 
our  Social  Hope.  It  is  the  time  relation  which  perplexes  and 
finds  its  utterance  in  the  cry  "How  long?"     The  idea  that 


60     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

this  answer  is  known  to  God,  if  not  to  us,  is  a  source  of  social 
inspiration. 


(3)   The  Church  at  Pergamum  (2:12-17) 

Pergamum  had  been  the  royal  city  of  ancient  native  king's, 
and  situated  on  a  high  hill,  it  was  royal  to  behold.  It  re- 
mained, at  least  to  the  end  of  the  century,  the  seat  of  the 
Roman  government  and  the  residence  of  the  pro-consul  of 
Asia.  The  phrase  "Where  Satan  has  his  throne,"  is  an  un- 
doubted and  intensely  interesting  reference  to  Pergamum  as 
the  seat  of  emperor-worship  in  Asia  Minor.  This  included  the 
erection  of  temples,  the  first  of  which  was  built  at  Pergamum, 
since  it  was  the  seat  of  the  provincial  government.  The  plain 
reference  to  a  martyr  by  name  is  proof  that  persecution  for 
failure  to  worship  the  Emperor  already  had  begun,  and  refer- 
ence to  the  Nicolaitans  shows  how  general  was  this  perni- 
cious teaching.  Surely  for  these  little  churches  there  were 
"fears  within  and  foes  without."  Consider  what  a  witness  to 
the  austere  morality  existing  in  these  little  Christian  com- 
munities in  the  midst  of  heathen  licentiousness  is  indicated 
by  the  sharp  rebuke  to  this  persecuted  church  because  of  the 
lapse  of  a  few  of  its  members.1  But  behind  and  above  that 
church  was  the  two-edged  sword  of  One  who  is  King  of  Kings 
and  Lord  of  Lords,  mighty  to  save.  There  is  social  comfort 
there  for  Pergamum  of  old  and  for  many  a  church  at  Per- 
gamum to-day. 

Chapter  2:  12.  To  the  guardian-angel  of  the  church  at 
Pergamum  write:  He  whose  words  can  cut  like  a  sword 
says:  13.  I  know  that  you  are  in  the  center  of  Satanic 
persecution,  and  that  although  a  martyr  has  already  fallen, 
you  did  not  deny  me.  14.  Yet  there  are  some  among  you 
who  practice  and  teach  immoralities,  15.  and  the  heresies  I 
hate.  16.  Eepent,  or  I  will  come  and  destroy  you.  17.  The 
victor  shall  receive  mystic  food  and  a  secret  name  written 
on   stone. 

1  See  Ernst  von  Dobschiitz,  Christian  Life  in  the  Primitive  Church, 
1904, 


INTRODUCTION   AND   MESSAGES   TO   CHURCHES       61 

Notes  Pergamum  (the  neuter  is  the  more  common  form). 
(See  Ramsay,  op.  eit.  pp.  281fT.,  and  consult  other  authorities 
as  above.)  v.  12  The  idea  is  the  destroying  power  of  the  con- 
demnation of  Christ,  so  frequently  appearing  in  this  book, 
v.  13  Satan's  throne,  i.  e.  the  seat  of  Emperor-worship.  Noth- 
ing more  is  known  of  Antipas.  v.  14  Balaam.  (See  Num. 
31:16ff.)  v.  15  Nicolaitans.  Our  only  knowledge  of  this  sect 
is  the  information  contained  in  this  book.  v.  17  For  the 
source  of  the  word  hidden  manna,  see  Ex.  16:32-34,  Heb. 
9 :4.  It  was  manna  "kept  before  the  ark  in  the  holy  place 
which  was  hidden  by  God  when  the  temple  was  destroyed, 
and  kept  for  the  Messianic  age." *  To  eat  of  this  manna 
was  to  be  one  of  the  joys  of  the  Messianic  Age.  (See 
John  6:48-51.)  Christ  Himself  to  the  Christian  is  thus  the 
heavenly  manna.  For  the  source  of  the  secret  name,  it  is 
probable  that  we  must  look  not  to  Jewish  sources  but  to  the 
pagan  practice  of  attaching  mystical  and  even  magical  signifi- 
cance to  secret  names,  the  knowledge  of  which  conferred 
supernatural  powers  and  unlocked  mysteries,  since  they  were 
regarded  as  a  password  or  Open  Sesame.  The  white  stone, 
an  amulet  containing  the  victor's  name  as  an  inscription, 
giving  power  against  every  enemy.  But  Christ  gives  a 
new  secret  name  which  opens  the  gates  of  everlasting  life. 
If  this  explanation  is  the  correct  one,  how  it  illustrates  the 
way  in  which  even  the  most  superstitious  ideas  of  the  age 
could  be  turned  to  divine  uses  by  the  Spirit  of  a  Christian 
inspiration ! 2 

(4)   The  Church  at  Thyatira   (2:18-29) 

This  letter  is  the  longest  and  the  most  obscure  and  difficult. 
Thyatira  was  a  town  of  little  importance.  It  had  no  natural 
advantages,  no  famous  past  history.  It  was  the  humblest  of 
all  the  seven  cities.  Its  chief  industry  was  that  of  dyeing 
woolen  goods.    It  was  a  Gentile  church,  and  the  Jews  are  not 

1  Porter,  p.  206. 

2  See  Beckwith,  pp.   462,  3. 


62     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

mentioned.  It  had  had  a  good  record  of  love  and  service, 
but  the  Nicolaitan  teachings,  resisted  elsewhere,  had  gained 
the  upper  hand  here,  and  for  this  the  church  is  severely  con- 
demned, in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  summoned  to  repentance. 

Chapter  2:  18.  Also  write  to  the  guardian-angel  of  the 
church  at  Thyatire:  He  whose  vision  searches  the  heart 
and  who  abides  in  strength  says:  19.  I  know  your  many 
virtues.  20.  But  you  permit  the  presence  of  a  false  prophet- 
ess who  teaches  you  false  doctrines  and  practices.  21.  She 
has  refused  to  repent,  22.  and  I  will  destroy  her  and  her 
devotees,  23.  that  all  the  churches  may  know  that  I  dis- 
cern the  heart.  24.  I  add  no  other  warning  to  those  of  you 
who  have  not  known,  as  they  say,  the  deep  things  of  Satan, 
25.  except  to  hold  fast.  26.  The  conqueror  will  rule  over 
the  Gentiles.  27.  and  they  shall  be  destroyed  as  God  Him- 
self said.  28.  Also  I  will  give  him  the  brightness  of  the 
morning-star.      29.  Give   heed   to   this   message. 

Notes  For  Thyatira,  See  Ramsay  and  Hastings,  v.  18  A 
picture  of  the  all-seeing  and  kingly  Christ,  (cf.  II.  Chron. 
16:9,  Luke  2:35,  8:17;  I  Cor.  4:5,  14:25;  Heb.  4:13.) 
How  ably  this  description  completes  the  picture  of  the  "meek 
and  lowly  Jesus,"  as  an  authoritative  reviewer  and  arbiter 
in  our  world  of  chaotic  and  unjust  social  conditions !  The  feet 
of  burnished  brass  are  indicative  of  strength.  Note  that  the 
attributes  of  omniscience  and  omnipotence  ascribed  to  Christ 
are  those  which  are  the  most  characteristic  attributes  of  God  in 
the  Old  Testament.  Yet  here  in  the  New  Testament  we  find 
a  Jewish  writer  raising  Jesus  to  the  plane  of  God.  It  is 
indirect  evidence  of  the  impression  produced  by  Christ  which 
could  create  this  revolution  of  thought,  v.  19  "Love,  faith, 
ministry,  patience."  What  a  wonderful  record  for  a  church 
in  the  days  in  which  this  book  was  written,  record  which  can 
be  paralleled  to-day  on  many  a  mission  field  at  home  and 
abroad !  It  suggests  the  full  spiritual  program  for  any 
church,  v.  20  Study  the  use  of  the  words  "prophets"  and 
"prophecy"  in  the  New  Testament  as  related  to  the  life  of  the 
church,  by  the  use  of  Hastings'  Bible  Dictionary.  Prophets 
were  a  recognized  class  in  the  primitive  churches,  second  only 


INTRODUCTION   AND    MESSAGES    TO   CHUECHES       63 

to  apostles,  whose  claim  rested  upon  "gifts  of  the  Spirit." 
Then,  as  now,  the  distinction  between  true  and  false  prophets 
was  possible  only  by  an  enlightened  conscience  (cf.  Deut. 
13:1-3).  This  false  teaching  in  lax  morals  has  its  parallel 
in  our  day.  The  question  of  partaking  of  idolatrous  sacri- 
fices evidently  continued  to  be  a  burning  one  after  St.  Paul's 
day.  "No  other  burden"  is  an  evident  echo  from  Acts  15.  A 
distinction  is  to  be  made  between  eating  things  strangled  with 
blood  and  being  participators  in  idolatrous  feasts  which  would 
be  equivalent  to  idolatrous  worship  (cf.  Acts  15 :28  and  I  Cor. 
10:21).  It  may  well  be  that  in  this  case  these  feasts  were 
accompanied  with  licentiousness  (cf.  Jude  4,  7).  As  against 
all  this  teaching  that  the  freedom  of  the  Christian  life  implied 
freedom  also  from  the  moral  law,  cf .  Rom.  6 :1,  2,  Gal.  5 :13ff. 
v.  24  The  deep  things  of  Satan  i.e.  plainly  unholy  things 
which  are  "camouflaged"  as  profound  truths  which  only  the 
learned  and  initiated  can  understand.  Precisely  so  in  our 
day,  departures  from  the  simple  rules  of  conduct  are  often 
spoken  of  as  evidences  of  a  higher  worldly  wisdom,  v.  26  The 
rule  over  the  nations  included  the  Roman  Empire  itself.  What 
a  wonderful  confirmation  of  this  apparently  impossible  pro- 
phecy is  afforded  by  the  history  of  Christianity  during  the 
two  centuries  which  followed!  v.  28  morning-star.  An  ob- 
scure symbol,  perhaps  derived  from  Dan.  12:3.  (See  Job. 
38:7.)      In  22:16,  Christ  Himself  is  the  morning-star. 

(5)   The  Church  at  Sardis   (3:1-6) 

Sardis  had  been  the  capital  of  a  great  kingdom,  but  its 
glory  had  waned.  Its  natural  situation  gave  it  the  appear- 
ance of  being  impregnable,  yet  it  had  often  been  taken. 
When  this  letter  was  written,  it  had  been  outstripped  by  its 
rivals  Ephesus  and  Smyrna,  and  was  of  third-rate  importance. 
The  history  of  the  city  is  thus  closely  paralleled  by  the  history 
of  the  church  within.  Apparently  it  had  had  an  untroubled 
history;  nothing  is  said  of  hostility  or  persecution.     The  very 


64    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

lack  of  it  may  account  for  its  indifference  and  apathy.     The 
purpose  of  the  message  is  to  call  it  back  to  life. 

Chapter  3:  1.  And  write  this  to  the  guardian-angel  of 
the  Church  at  Sardis:  He  that  has  divine  omniscience 
says:  I  know  that  you  are  thought  to  be  alive.  In  reality 
you  are  dead.  2.  Wake  up  and  reinforce  what  little  good 
remains,  for  nothing  that  you  have  done  is  complete  before 
God.  3.  Eecall  what  you  have  learned  and  repent,  lest  I 
come  upon  you  with  sudden  judgment.  4.  There  are  some 
undefiled  persons  left  among  you  who  will  walk  with  me 
when  I  come.  5.  These  shall  be  found  written  in  the  book 
of  life  and  shall  be  known  before  God  as  my  disciples. 
6.  Give  heed  to  this  message. 

Notes  For  Sardis,  see  Ramsay,  pp.  369ff.  Also  Hastings' 
Bible  Dictionary,  v.  1  By  comparing  v.  1  with  chapter  2,  v.  1, 
a  difference  is  noted.  There  Christ  is  represented  as  walking 
amid  the  candlesticks.  Here  we  are  told  that  Christ 
holds  in  his  hand  not  only  the  seven  stars  but  also  the  seven 
spirits  of  God.  In  this  new  phrase  the  author  may  desire 
to  express  the  idea  that  although  the  earthly  influence  (candle- 
sticks) of  the  church  at  Sardis  has  waned,  its  heavenly  coun- 
terpart (stars)  still  remains,  and  that  Christ  through  his 
Spirit  is  still  able  to  revive  the  soul  of  his  church.  This  idea 
of  the  essential  immortality  of  the  earthly  shrine  of  the  spirit 
of  Christ  is  beautiful  and  true.  Thou  art  dead.  This  is  true  of 
many  a  modern  church  which  has  lost  its  communicating  and 
vitalizing  power,  and  of  many  people  who  may  seem  to  be 
healthy,  but  are  not,  in  any  real  spiritual  sense,  alive.  It  be- 
comes a  most  earnest  and  practical  question  with  any  soul :  Am 
I  dead  or  am  I  alive?  To  what  extent  can  it  be  said  that  I  am 
truly  living?  v.  2  Always  for  purposes  of  self -recovery,  one 
can  establish  what  remains.  This  is  the  secret  of  the  op- 
timism of  all  true  social  workers.  Like  their  Master,  they 
"know  what  is  in  man"  (John  2:25),  and  their  eyes  pierce 
through  the  outward  corruption  to  the  divine  remainder  of 
manhood  within,  and  proceed  to  build  upon  that.  If  there 
was  such  a  remainder  in  the  church  at  Sardis,  surely  there  is 
in    its    modern    counterpart,    whether    church    or    individual. 


INTRODUCTION   AND   MESSAGES   TO   CHURCHES       65 

Always  there  is  at  least  the  memory  of  what  has  been  heard 
at  home,  at  church,  of  prayer,  God,  Christ,  Bible.  To  hold 
fast  to  this  and  to  repent  is  the  beginning  of  a  new  life, 
w.  4,  5  We  have  here  the  suggestion  of  the  "inner  shrine" 
of  even  this  corrupted  church,  the  undefiled  souls  of  the  faith- 
ful remnant.  Even  in  the  most  decadent  church  to-day  this 
saving  remnant  can  always  be  found.  The  origin  of  the 
phrase  the  book  of  life  goes  back  to  the  Old  Testament  (Ex. 
32:32;  Ps.  69:28;  Dan.  7:10;  Mai.  3:16).  It  is  there  used 
as  the  roll  of  the  blessed  as  it  is  used  here.  But  in  Rev.  20 :12 
it  is  also  used  as  the  book  of  judgment  in  which  the  deeds  of 
men  are  recorded.  It  is  in  this  latter  sense  that  chief  use  has 
been  made  of  the  figure  by  Christian  theology.  I  will  confess 
his  name,  a  reminiscence,  and  almost  a  quotation  of  one  of 
the  words  of  Jesus:  Matt.  10:32;  Mark  8:38;  Lk.  12:8. 

(6)   The  Church  at  Philadelphia  (3:7-13) 

The  city  was  so  named  because  of  the  loyal  conduct  of 
Attalus  Philadelphus  toward  his  brother  and  predecessor 
Eumenes  II.  It  was  founded  B.C.  189.  It  was  a  place  of 
importance  in  the  imperial  organization  of  Asia,  possessing 
wealth  and  influence,  and  serving  as  a  trade  center  for  the  dis- 
trict. The  message  warns  of  trials  to  come,  urges  fidelity,  and 
promises  a  sure  reward.  A  singular  interest  attaching  to  this 
epistle  is  the  description  it  gives  in  v.  9  of  the  relation  of  an- 
cient Israel  to  the  "true  Israel"  of  God,  "one  which  must  have 
perplexed  every   Christian  Jew." * 

Chapter  3:  7.  And  to  the  guardian-angel  of  the  church 
at  Philadelphia  write:  He  that  is  holy  and  true  and 
has  authority  to  admit  and  exclude  whom  he  will,  says, 
8.  I  know  your  faithfulness.  With  but  a  little  strength, 
you  have  not  denied  me.  9.  I  will  cause  the  false  Jews  to 
be  subject  to  you.  10.  Because  of  your  fidelity,  I  will 
guard  you  in  the  day  of  judgment.  11.  Expect  my  coming, 
that  you  do  not  lose  your  reward.     12.  The  victor  shall  have 

1  See  Beckwith,  op.  cit.,  pp.  477,  478. 


66     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

a  permanent  place  in  God's  temple,  and  shall  be  known  as 
belonging  to  God,  and  as  a  citizen  of  the  Heavenly  City. 
13.  Give  heed  to  this  message. 

Notes  For  Philadelphia,  see  Ramsay,  pp.  391ff.,  and  other 
authorities,  v.  7  This  epithet  is  taken  from  Isa.  22:22.  (See. 
Heb.  3:6;  Matt.  16:19),  and  expresses  supreme  power,  v.  8 
open  door  This  refers  possibly  to  its  position  "on  the  thresh- 
old of  the  eastern  country  and  to  the  rapidity  with  which 
the  new  religion  was  spreading  .  .  .  through  the  cities  con- 
nected with  Philadelphia."  The  door  gives  an  entrance  into 
missionary  activity.  How  true  it  is  of  every  church  to-day  that 
such  a  spiritual  opportunity  is  presented  to  it.  (Compare  I 
Cor.  16:9;  II  Cor.  2:12;  Col.  4:3).  The  reward  for  this 
church  of  faithful  work  at  home  was  the  presenting  of  larger 
opportunity  beyond.  Thus  the  spiritual  history  of  this  church 
is  an  illustration  in  primitive  Christianity  of  our  Lord's  par- 
able of  the  talents.1  v.  9  The  synagogue  of  Satan  (cf.  chap. 
2:9.)  Note  in  this  verse,  which  is  quite  in  accord  with  the 
teaching  of  Christ  in  Matt.  20:26-28,  the  reversal  of  the 
prophecy  in  Isa.  61 :4-6.  Without  doubt  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians were  persecuted  by  the  Jews  for  the  same  reason  that 
Christ  Himself  was.  Their  teaching,  like  his,  seemed  to  con- 
flict with  the  intense  nationalistic  and  "patriotic"  sentiment  of 
the  Jews  "to  which  its  monotheism  served  as  a  buttress."  To 
what  extent  to-day  does  Christian  teaching  take  issue  with  the 
spirit  of  nationalism  and  "patriotism"  falsely  so-called?  v.  10 
"The  reward  of  keeping  is  being  kept."  Even  this  church 
to  which  no  word  of  reproach  is  directed  is  not  to  escape  trial, 
but  it  is  to  be  kept  through  trial.  The  reward  of  virtue  and 
fidelity  is  never  immunity  from  pain,  nor  outward  prosperity 
but  the  fellowship  of  Christ  in  suffering,  v.  11  "I  come 
quickly."  This  is  a  note  frequently  heard  throughout  this 
book,  and  repeated  in  its  last  verse.  In  its  most  literal  signi- 
fication it  may  well  refer  to  the  Advent  hope  of  all  early  Chris- 
tians, which  was  not  literally  fulfilled.     Doubtless  for  them 

1  The  phrase  may,  however,  mean  simply  an  entrance  into  the  glories 
of   Christ's   kingdom.      See   Rev.    3 :  20,    4:1;    John    10 :  7,    9. 


INTRODUCTION   AND   MESSAGES   TO   CHURCHES       67 

also,  however,  it  meant  the  impending  judgment  of  Christ  upon 
the  old  world  order,  which  was  fulfilled.  For  all  of  us  it 
contains  the  solemn  truth  of  the  imminence  of  a  divine  judg- 
ment upon  all  social  iniquity  and  also  the  speedy  revelation 
of  the  worth  of  every  soul  when  it  stands  open  and  manifest 
in  his  sight  (I  Cor.  4,  5).  v.  12ff.  The  promise  of  stability 
is  given  to  a  city  in  which  the  memory  of  a  devastating  earth- 
quake was  still  fresh.  (See  Ramsay  pp.  408ff.  cf.  Heb.  12 :27- 
28.)  In  place  of  a  statue  in  an  earthly  temple  with  one's  name 
inscribed  upon  it,  the  faithful  shall  be  under  God's  own  name 
and  sign  (John  10:3;  II  Tim.  2:19),  and  be  admitted  and 
declared  members  of  the  divine  society  of  men  (cf.  Eph. 
2:19-22). 

(8)  The  Church  at  Laodicea  (3:14-22) 

The  history  of  this  church  is  the  opposite  of  that  at  Phila- 
delphia. The  city  lay  mid-way  in  a  long  valley  connecting 
Ephesus  with  the  East.  It  was  the  judicial  and  financial  cen- 
ter of  the  district,  founded  for  the  purpose  of  transmitting 
to  the  interior  Greek  civilization  and  commerce,  but  failing 
in  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose.  It  imported,  but 
failed  to  export;  it  received  but  failed  to  give.  It  grew  to  be 
a  luxurious  but  ineffective  center  of  wealth,  and  died  from  self- 
indulgence  and  apathy.  This  church  was  not  suffering  from 
either  immorality  or  heresy,  but  from  self-complacency  and 
satisfaction.  The  teaching  of  Revelation  accords  with  that  of 
Christ  in  condemnation  of  the  self-righteous  Pharisee,  the 
unprofitable  servant,  the  harmless,  respectable,  "moral"  church 
or  individual.  Selfishness,  whether  in  church  or  individual, 
is  the  cardinal  Christian  sin.  There  may  be  more  harm  and 
danger  in  negative  morality  than  in  open  hostility.  Saul 
of  Tarsus  may  become  St.  Paul  the  Apostle,  but  there  is  no 
future  for  one  who  is  neither  hot  nor  cold. 

Chapter  3:  14.  Also  to  the  guardian-angel  of  the  church 
at  Laodicea  write:  He  whose  word  is  truth,  the  faithful 
witness-bearer,  who   stands   at  the  head  of  creation,  says: 


68     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

15.  Because  you  are  indifferent,  neither  good  nor  bad,  16. 
I  will  abhor  you;  17.  for  you  are  rich  outwardly  but  spirit- 
ually you  are  bankrupt.  18.  I  advise  you  to  get  from  me 
true  riches,  the  wedding  garment,  and  salve  for  blindness. 
19.  If  I  speak  severely,  it  is  only  because  I  love  you.  20. 
I  am  ready  to  come  in  wherever  I  am  welcomed  as  a  guest. 
21.  The  conqueror  will  share  in  my  triumph  even  as  I 
shared  in  that  of  my  Father.  22.  Give  heed,  to  this  mes- 
sage. 

Notes  For  Laodicea,  see  authorities  as  above,  v.  14  Christ 
is  here  described  as  the  creative  agent  of  God.  (John  1:3; 
Col.  1:16;  Heb.  1:2)  v.  18  Laodicea  was  renowned  for  its 
fabrics,1  the  materials  for  which  were  provided  by  a  famous 
black  wool.  It  also  had  a  medical  school  and  manufactured 
an  ointment  for  the  eyes  which  was  everywhere  sought  and 
used.  These  features  of  its  material  prosperity  are  used 
to  prescribe  for  its  spiritual  needs.  V.  20.  "I  stand  at  the 
door."  We  commonly  think  of  truth  as  hiding  itself  behind 
a  door  to  which  we  must  find  the  key,2  when,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  from  Genesis  (Gen.  3:9)  to  Revelation,  we  are  shown 
God  and  Christ  as  seeking  us.  "If  any  man  will  but  open  the 
door,  I  will  come  in."  v.  21  The  rewards  and  blessings  of 
life  here  and  hereafter  are  not  for  those  who  seek  to  escape 
the  hard  things  of  life,  but  for  those  who,  taking  their  share 
of  life's  hardships,  endure  and  overcome.  (See  Mark  8:34; 
II  Tim.  2:3.)  True  men  are  not  looking  for  the  easy  thing. 
In  sports,  in  work,  or  in  adventure  it  is  the  call  to  the  heroic 
that  wins  a  response.  This  is  the  martial  summons  of  the 
Bible,  not  to  a  life  of  indolent  acceptance  of  blessings  pre- 
pared for  it,  but  to  the  sacrificial  life  that  dares  and  endures. 
The  recovery  of  this  appeal  would  mean  the  winning  of  men  to 
Christ  and  his  cause. 

1  See  Ramsay,  pp.  428,   9. 

2  See   F.    G.    Peabody,    Mornings   in   the   College   Chapel,   pp.    107-9. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   ETERNAL  BACKGROUND 

Revelation,  Chapters  4  and  5 

THE  literary  and  spiritual  purpose  of  these  two  chapters, 
and  their  place  in  the  unfolding  drama  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, are  not  hard  to  understand.  The  exhortation  to  the 
churches  of  Asia  and  through  them  to  the  churches  of  every 
place  and  time  having  been  completed,  the  author  is  about 
to  address  himself  to  the  revelation  which  has  been  given  him 
of  the  judgment  of  God  upon  the  world  and  of  the  impending 
trial  and  persecution  of  his  people,  which  is  to  result  in  the 
victory  of  his  cause  and  the  reward  of  the  faithful.  Before, 
however,  proceeding  to  a  description  of  this  struggle,  tre- 
mendous in  its  scope  and  its  consequences,  the  author  gives  us, 
in  these  two  chapters,  as  a  background  against  which  this  battle 
will  be  fought,  a  description  first  of  the  almighty  and  infinite 
God,  and  then  of  the  omnipotent  and  invincible  Christ.  The 
purpose  may  have  been  to  give  the  reader  confidence  in  the  out- 
come before  he  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  struggle. 
Always  we  must  remember  those  early  Christians  for  whom 
the  book  was  primarily  written.  It  is  easy  to  understand  the 
spiritual  meaning  of  these  chapters  for  those  who  were  called 
upon  to  defend  the  cause  of  Christ  with  their  lives.  For  all 
martyrs  and  witnesses  and  workers  for  Christ  in  every  age, 
these  chapters  contain  this  imperishable  hope  that  behind  the 
battle,  and  watching  over  its  issues,  there  is  the  eternal  God, 
our  refuge;  there  is  the  captain  of  our  salvation  who  has  gone 
forth  conquering  and  to  conquer. 

In  this  appeal  the  author  is  true  to  the  central  teaching  of 

69 


70    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION" 

the  Bible  and  to  the  central  fact  of  Christian  experience.  The 
ultimate  basis  of  the  Social  Hope  for  the  Christian  lies  in  the 
conviction  of  a  living  God  and  of  a  living  and  energizing 
Christ.  These  are  the  two  indispensable  convictions  under- 
lying a  permanent  Christian  optimism.  When  these  convic- 
tions exist,  one  can  do  full  justice,  as  does  the  author  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation,  to  the  fact  of  evil,  without  losing  any  of 
one's  social  confidence.  There  lies  the  ultimate  and  permanent 
meaning  of  these  chapters. 

To  choose  an  instance  from  history  to  illustrate  this  point: 
what  was  the  source  of  the  extraordinary  spiritual  inspiration 
which  led  to  the  founding  of  the  American  Commonwealth,  and 
laid  the  basis  of  our  modern  political  and  religious  liberties? 
We  find  that  it  lay  in  a  complete  and  overmastering  con- 
viction of  the  reality  of  God  as  the  ruler  of  men  and  -of  their 
moral  destiny.  When  we  ask  what  manner  of  men  these  were 
and  what  the  guiding  truth  and  impulse  was  that  impelled 
them  to  their  great  acts  of  faith  and  fortitude,  we  find  the 
truth  of  God  lying  at  the  root  and  center  of  their  lives,  as 
the  all-controlling  motive,  guiding  alike  their  lives  and  the 
destiny  of  the  cause  of  which  they  were  the  instruments.  That 
creed  is  perhaps  the  most  sublime  that  any  man  can  hold; 
that  creed  will  take  men  anywhere  and  prepare  them  for  any- 
thing; that  creed  is  essential  to  human  happiness  and  to  human 
progress.  The  world  has  rarely  produced  greater  men  than 
have  been  found  under  its  influence.  It  was  the  creed  of  the 
Calvinists  and  of  our  Puritan  forefathers.  Merely  to  mention 
the  fact  that  Calvinism  gave  to  the  world  such  men  as  William 
the  Silent,  Admiral  Coligny,  John  Knox  of  Scotland,  Oliver 
Cromwell  of  England,  Jonathan  Edwards  of  America,  ought 
to  make  us  realize  that  the  world  owes  to  it  a  debt  which  can 
never  be  repaid.  "We  may  repudiate,  and  we  do,  the  extreme 
Calvinistic  dogmas;  but  let  us  frankly  acknowledge  what  was 
great  and  noble  in  it.  It  was  an  iron  creed,  but  it  made  iron 
men;  so  that  the  world  never  knew  braver  or  stronger  men 
than  Calvinism  bred.     This  humbling  creed  which  laid  a  man 


THE  ETEENAL  BACKGROUND  71 

prostrate  before  his  Maker  made  holy  men  like  John 
Bunyan  and  Richard  Baxter  and  the  men  of  the  May- 
flower." It  takes  a  great  creed  to  make  a  great  man,  and 
there  is  no  creed  that  is  greater,  whatever  its  minor  defects, 
than  that  which  puts  God  on  his  throne  and  acknowledges 
his  sovereign  sway  over  men.  This  ennobling  creed  that  made 
men  feel  that  they  were  the  instruments  and  messengers  of 
Almighty  God  made  mighty  men  who  would  neither  bend  nor 
bow;  who  feared  none  but  God,  and  who  with  splendid  cour- 
age crashed  against  tyranny  and  wrong.  It  was  of  men  nour- 
ished by  such  a  creed  that  J.  A.  Froude  (not  a  prejudiced 
witness)  wrote:  "They  attracted  to  themselves  every  man  in 
Europe  that  hated  a  lie.  They  were  crushed  down,  but  they 
rose  again.  They  were  splintered  and  torn,  but  no  power 
could  melt  or  break  them.  They  abhorred,  as  no  body  of 
men  ever  more  abhorred,  all  conscious  mendacity,  all  impurity, 
all  moral  wrong  of  every  kind  so  far  as  they  could  recognize 
it."  It  was  men  such  as  these  who  broke  the  back  of  tyranny 
in  the  state,  and  who  preserved  personal  and  vital  religion 
so  that  whatever  exists  at  this  moment  in  the  English-speaking 
race  of  accountability  to  God  and  of  conscious  fear  of  wrong, 
was  branded  into  men's  hearts  by  the  Calvinists.  The  secret 
of  their  pertinacity,  their  courage,  their  indomitable  will,  was 
their  belief  in  a  sovereign  God  and  in  themselves  as  the  agents 
of  his  will.  It  is  of  such  stuff  that  heroes  are  made,  and  pro- 
phets; it  is  such  men  who  "subdue  kingdoms,  obtain  promises, 
and  who  turn  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens."  Precisely 
this  is  the  place  which  the  fourth  chapter  of  Revelation  occu- 
pies in  the  religious  experience  of  all  men  everywhere.  It  is 
the  central  teaching  of  the  Bible  that  God  is  in  the  midst. 
It  was  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  who  said  that  a  man  can  do 
and  can  hear  anything  if  he  really  believes  that  God  is  on 
his  side.  That  is  just  what  this  chapter  says :  "If  God  is  for 
us,  who  can  be  against  us?" 

A  similar  purpose  is  intended  and  achieved  by  chapter  5 
in  the  picture  which  it  gives  us  of  a  present,  living  Christ. 


72     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

No  one  can  read  and  understand  the  Book  of  Revelation 
without  gaining  a  vivid  and  permanent  conception  of  Christ 
not  merely  as  an  historical  character,  as  One  who  lived  in  the 
past  and  accomplished  a  ministry  which  ended  with  his  death, 
but  also  of  a  living,  energizing  Spirit  who  accompanies  the 
on-going  life  of  the  world,  oversees  its  struggles,  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  eternal  battle  of  righteousness,  opposes  Himself 
to  the  enemies  of  his  cause,  protects  his  people,  and  wins 
through  them  and  with  them  and  for  them,  the  final  victory. 
This  is  one  of  the  chief  values  of  the  book,  one  of  its  greatest 
spiritual  contributions  to  the  Christian.  It  is  a  service  which 
is  desperately  needed.  One  of  the  great  lacks  in  the  actual 
religious  experience  of  many  in  our  day  is  precisely  this 
persuasion  of  a  living  Christ.  The  chaplains  in  the  army 
reported  an  almost  total  absence  of  it  in  the  experience  of  the 
soldiers  in  both  British  and  American  armies.1  For  many 
people  to-day  Christ  is  "a  far-off  historical  character,  the 
great  Ideal  .  .  .  but  He  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  daily 
round."  Precisely  the  opposite  of  this,  of  course,  is  the  teach- 
ing of  the  New  Testament.  For  the  early  disciples,  Christ 
had  everything  to  do  with  daily  life.  The  living  and  accom- 
panying Christ  stands  out  on  every  page  of  the  Acts  and 
the  Epistles.  But  nowhere  is  such  a  vivid  exhibition  of  this 
truth  given  as  in  the  Book  of  Revelation.  The  teaching  of 
this  book  must  revive  and  make  real  this  integral  and  essen- 
tial element  of  a  true  Christian  experience.  The  apprehension 
of  this  truth  is  the  ground  of  the  Social  Hope;  gives  the  clue 
and  meaning  to  a  true  social  interpretation  of  history;  and 
fortifies  the  individual  soul  in  its  struggle  for  righteousness. 
There  is  no  substitute  for  this  persuasion  of  the  living  Christ 
as  the  secret  of  the  perpetual  inspiration  of  the  human  soul. 
In  personal  living,  this  conception  stands  central.  In  the 
midst  of  the  monotonies  of  existence,  or  of  great  cosmic  disas- 
ters,  or   of  the   decay   of  moral   impulses,   or  the  inveterate 

1  See  Atlantic  Monthly  Sept.  1919,  "The  Church  and  the  Civilian 
Young  Man";  also,  The  Army  and  Religion  (Macmillan),  Chap- 
ter III. 


THE  ETEBNAL  BACKGKOUND  73 

evils  of  the  world,  who  does  not  know  his  moments  of  moral 
vertigo,  days  when  all  his  spiritual  forces  are  threatened 
with  panic?  On  such  days  the  voice  of  the  omnipotent  and 
ever-present  Jesus,  traveling  in  the  glory  of  his  strength, 
comes  to  us  in  our  fear  and  trembling,  saying  in  a  voice  that 
penetrates  to  the  inmost  recesses  of  our  being  and  rallies  all 
our  waning  strength. 

Peace,  it  is  I.  .  .  .  In  this  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation; 
but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world. 

In  our  social  struggle  for  a  better  world,  as  well  as  in  per- 
sonal living,  this  conception  of  a  living  Christ  is  indispensable. 
In  the  promise  of  Christ  to  his  disciples,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you 
even  to  the  end  of  the  world,"  the  word  "end"  means  not 
termination  but  consummation,  perfection,  completion.  That 
is  the  Social  Hope  of  the  Book  of  Revelation.  It  gives  us 
the  picture  of  Christ  working  with  men  until  the  ultimate 
perfection  and  completion  of  the  social  order.  That  also  is 
the  Christian  interpretation  of  history.  When  we  survey  the 
centuries  that  have  elapsed  since  that  promise  was  given,  and 
since  the  last  book  of  the  Bible  was  written  and  sealed,  what 
do  we  see?  In  the  breaking  up  of  the  pagan  world,  the  grad- 
ual disappearance  of  the  old  social  order,  the  dawning  of  a 
new  day,  the  story  of  human  liberties,  the  rebirth  of  nations, 
the  on-march  of  the  Gospel,  we  see  the  coming  of  Christ  down 
through  the  ages,  the  advance  of  the  Son  of  Man  traveling 
in  the  glory  of  his  strength. 

Behind  the  moral  customs  of  society  He  stands,  back  of  its 
laws,  habits  and  practices,  wielding  upon  them  his  irresistible 
power.  It  is  impossible  to  read  the  record  of  social  progress 
without  the  recognition  of  his  shaping  strength,  his  moral  will. 
in  forcing  the  civilized  world  out  of  its  injustice  and  inhu- 
manity. His  sublime  spirit  is  in  the  record;  it  is  in  the  his- 
tory of  Christendom;  it  is  in  the  present  struggle;  it  is  the 
hope  of  society.  When  did  we  need  this  inspiration  more 
than  we  need  it  now?     It  is  one  of  the  glories  of  the  Book 


74     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

of  Revelation  that  it  produces  this  indelible  impression  of  a 
Christ  who  is  even  now  bending  men  to  the  doing  of  his  will 
and  putting  all  things  under  his  feet. 

That  the  Social  Hope  is  never  complete  without  the  con- 
ception lying  behind  these  two  chapters  of  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lation is  proved  by  a  careful  observation  of  the  social  con- 
science that  operates  without  this  inspiration.  There  is,  as 
we  all  know,  a  social  conscience  in  the  world  that  is  devoid  of 
the  Christian  inspiration.  It  may  well  be  asked  if  the  so- 
cial movements  of  our  time  can  afford  to  dispense  with  this 
inspiration,  much  less  to  despise  it.  Chiefly  it  is  the  Christian 
Idea  which  generates  the  spiritual  sentiment,  and  above  all 
the  spiritual  assurance  and  confident  hope  which  must  go 
hand  in  hand  with  culture  and  humanitarian  passion  and  de- 
votion, if  human  life  is  to  be  made  sane  and  sweet  and  strong. 
Let  any  one  contrast,  for  example,  the  abounding  social  hope 
of  Christian  missionaries  from  the  very  dawn  of  the  Christian 
era,  with  the  mood  of  many  noble  men  and  women  "who  with 
the  insight  of  prophets  and  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  of 
martyrs  are  battling  for  righteousness  outside  of  the  Christian 
cultus  and  bereft  of  the  historic  Christian  inspiration.  When 
Robert  Morison  was  sailing  for  China,  the  captain  of  the  ves- 
sel asked  him  if  he  expected  to  be  able  to  convert  the  millions 
of  Chinese  to  Christianity.  To  which  he  replied,  "No,  I  do 
not,  but  I  believe  that  God  is  able  to  do  just  that !"  In  ethical 
and  social  workers  who  lack  that  persuasion,  we  sometimes 
detect  an  undertone  of  sadness,  a  note  of  wistful  longing,  a 
strain  of  "close-lipped  patience,  near-daughter  to  despair," 
which  indicates  the  spiritual  tragedy  of  many  a  noble  life. 
What  would  it  not  mean  if  these  souls  could  be  thrilled, 
touched,  quickened  by  the  message  of  this  book  which  would 
replace  their  noble  melancholy  with  the  persuasion  that  the 
living  God  is  in  the  midst  of  his  people  so  that  their  labor 
can  never  be  in  vain  in  the  Lord;  and  that  the  omnipotent 
Christ  is   putting  all  things  under  his  feet? 


THE  ETERNAL  BACKGROUND  75 

Chapter  4:  1.  After  this  heaven  was  opened,  as  it  were, 
and  the  same  voice  which  had  spoken  to  me  in  trumpet- 
tones  before,  summoned  me  to  see  the  things  that  were 
about  to  happen.  2.  At  once  I  was  inspired  and  behold, 
a  throne  in  heaven,  3.  and  he  that  sat  on  it  was  like  a 
rainbow  set  in  jewels.  4.  Surrounding  the  throne  were 
seated  twenty-four  dignitaries  crowned  like  princes  and 
clothed  like  priests.  5.  And  thunders  and  voices  issued 
from  the  throne,  and  seven  torches  typified  the  seven  di- 
vine spirits.  6.  And  the  sky  stretched  before  the  throne 
like  the  transparent  sea;  and  within  and  about  the  throne 
were  four  living  creatures  which  could  see  in  every  direc- 
tion. 7.  They  resembled  a  lion,  an  ox,  a  man,  and  an 
eagle,  8.  but  all  had  wings  and  all  uttered  praise  to  God 
without  ceasing.  9.  And  at  the  sound  of  praise,  10.  the 
twenty-four  kingly  persons  worshipped  God,  renouncing  their 
glory,   11.  and  giving   all  honour  to   him. 

Notes  v.  1  The  voice,  i.e.  the  voice  of  Christ,  as  in  1:10. 
This  Revelation  is  from  Christ  Himself.  Come  up  hither 
"The  vision  of  the  reality  and  strength  of  spiritual  things 
alone"  can  give  us  the  perspective  which  will  enable  us  to 
understand  and  to  endure,  v.  2  "The  sovereign  power  of  the 
world  was  not  on  the  earth  but  in  heaven.  This  thought  is 
the  nerve  of  the  whole  chapter,  and  of  the  whole  book.  .  .  . 
The  center  of  the  universe,  the  foundation  of  its  order  and 
life,  is  God."  There  is  always  a  throne  above  Domitian's. 
v.  3  The  reader  can  trace  all  of  this  description  of  the  glory  of 
God  to  its  Old  Testament  sources.  It  is  based  on  Ezekiel, 
chapters  1  and  10,  and  Isaiah,  chapter  6.  For  heaven  as  the 
dwelling-place  of  God,  see  Ex.  24:10;  I  Kings  22:19.  A 
special  significance  is  not  to  be  sought  in  each  particular 
element  or  color.  It  is  the  general  symbolism  which  needs 
to  be  borne  in  mind.  The  question  of  the  relation  of  the 
precious  stones  mentioned  in  the  Bible  to  our  modern  min- 
erals is  obscure.  (See  Hastings'  Bible  Dictionary  on  precious 
stones.)  v.  4  Four  and  twenty  elders,  i.  e.,  angelic  beings  with 
the  attributes  of  kings.  They  are  doubtless  taken  from  He- 
brew tradition  (Isa.  24:23),  but  their  ultimate  origin  is  prob- 
ably to  be  sought  in  Babylonian  mythology  where  twenty- 
four  star  gods  were  supposed  to  form  a  circle  around  the  polar 


76    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

star.  v.  5  The  seven  spirits  have  already  been  mentioned  in 
1:4  (cf.  also  1:12,  16  and  8:2).  Old  Testament  antecedents 
are  to  be  found  in  Ezek.  9:2,  but  especially  in  Zech.  4:2,  10, 
where  it  is  evident  that  the  lights  which  are  the  eyes  of  the 
Lord  were  originally  stars.  By  the  figure  is  meant  the  all- 
discerning  spirit  of  God.  v.  6  The  pavement  of  the  great 
throne-room  of  God  is  here  described,  and  the  likeness  in 
color  of  sea  and  sky  suggested  the  comparison.  (See  Gen. 
1:7.)  v.  7  The  four  living  beings  (beasts)  go  back  to  Ezek. 
1:5,  18.  Originally  they  were  doubtless  wind-clouds  (Ezek. 
1:4,  5)  which  are  the  cherubim  (Ezek.  9:3,  10:20)  which  bear 
the  chariot  of  God.  It  is  possible  that  this  conception  goes 
back  still  further  to  the  mythological  idea  that  four  beings 
supported  the  four  corners  of  heaven.  It  is  plain  that  the 
author  draws  freely  both  from  ancient  mythology  and  from 
the  Old  Testament  in  giving  poetic  and  symbolic  expression 
to  his  faith  that  God  is  before  all  and  above  all  and  behind 
all;  and  that  He  who  has  made  the  world  will  redeem  it  and 
that  nothing  can  thwart  his  purpose  and  his  will,  which  the 
future  will  reveal.  The  reader  will  note  how  freely  hymn 
writers  have  drawn  upon  this  chapter.  Bishop  Heber's  hymn, 
"Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty"  is  a  transcript  of 
this  description  of  God.  v.  11  The  purpose  of  creation  is  to 
satisfy  its  Creator  (cf.  Gen.  1:31).  This  conception  is  the 
ground  of  an  imperishable  Social  Hope. 

Chapter  5:  1.  At  God's  right  hand,  I  saw  a  book-roll 
written  on  both  sides  and  sealed  with  seven  seals.  2.  An 
angel  called  with  a  loud  voice  for  one  who  was  worthy 
to  break  the  seals  and  open  the  book,  3.  but  none  could 
be  found.  4.  And  I  mourned  over  this,  5.  but  was  reas- 
sured by  one  of  the  kingly  priests,  who  told  me  that  the 
Messiah-Christ  had  been  able  to  open  the  book.  6.  And 
I  looked  and  beheld  there  was  one  bearing  like  a  lamb 
the  marks  of  sacrifice,  yet  having  all  power  and  knowledge 
to  do  God's  will  in  all  the  earth.  7.  When  He  came  and 
took  the  book,  8,  9.  the  living  creatures  and  the  kingly 
priests  all  worshipped  Him  because  He  was  the  Eedeemer 
of  all  mankind,  10.  and  had  saved  and  exalted  his  people. 
11.  The    angels    also,    an    innumerable    company,    12.   joined 


THE  ETERNAL  BACKGROUND  77 

in  the  hymn  of  praise.  13.  And  the  whole  earth  swelled 
the  chorus,  14.  and  the  living  creatures  chanted  the  Amen, 
and  the  kingly  priests  fell  down  and  worshipped  Him. 

Notes  v.  1  The  idea  of  a  book  of  destiny  is  taken  directly 
from  Ezek.  2 :9,  10,  Isa.  29 :11,  12,  and  Dan.  12 :4.  w.  3,  4 
Without  the  leadership  of  Christ  and  without  the  teaching 
of  his  spirit  who  alone  leads  us  into  all  truth,  God's  scheme 
and  plan  for  the  world  could  never  be  translated  into  history. 
The  events  of  the  on-marching  world  are  thus  the  Gesta 
Christi,  since  Christ  alone  enables  men  to  make  actual  what 
otherwise  would  remain  God's  hidden  purposes.  Men  have  al- 
ways been  palsied  by  the  doubt  of  whether  they  understood 
those  purposes.  That  doubt  is  removed  and  assurance  is  at- 
tained through  the  breaking  of  the  seals  by  Christ  alone.  The 
opening  of  the  book  by  Christ  signifies  that  present  events  are 
his  fulfillment  of  God's  purposes,  and  that  thus  they  lead 
in  the  end  to  the  salvation  of  the  people  of  God  and  the 
servants  of  Christ.  Human  history  is  thus  interpreted  as  the 
gradual  unfolding  of  the  will  and  purpose  of  God,  every 
event,  however  contradictory  it  may  seem  to  be,  in  the  hand 
and  keeping  of  Christ.  Such  a  view  of  history  alone  pro- 
vides a  sure  basis  for  social  optimism,  v.  6  Note  that  this 
picture  of  Christ  is  made  up  of  wholly  different  materials 
from  those  in  1 :  12-20.  Here  the  idea  is  more  distinctively 
Christian.  By  the  seven  horns  is  meant  perfect  power  (12:3, 
13:1,  17:3,  12),  by  the  seven  eyes  (Zech.  4:10)  perfect  knowl- 
edge. Through  his  vicarious  sacrifice  Christ  has  gained  his 
place  at  the  right  hand  of  God  above  all  angels  and  other 
powers  (cf.  Heb.  2:9,  10;  Phil.  2:5-11).  The  conception  of 
Christ  as  Lamb  is  peculiar  to  Revelation  and  to  the  Fourth 
Gospel.  Thence  it  has  become  one  of  the  most  familiar  figures 
in  Christian  art  and  hymnology.  "The  Lamb  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne.  The  work  of  redemption  and  the  means  taken 
to  accomplish  it  are  ever  before  the  mind  of  God."  Christ 
by  his  "sacrificial  death  has  unlocked  the  purposes  of  God 
for  mankind,   and  the  broad  issue  is  that   eternal   love  and 


78     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

righteousness  will  prevail.  .  .  .  The  final  result  is  never  in 
doubt  among  the  heavenly  host.  .  .  .  Whatever  comes,  eternal 
righteousness  and  sacrificial  love  are  on  the  throne."  All  who 
share  in  this  conviction  can  face  without  quiver  of  dread  what- 
ever struggles  and  sufferings  they  may  be  called  upon  to  en- 
dure.    The  Cross  is  the  final  symbol  of  the  Social  Hope. 


CHAPTER  VII 

JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION 

Revelation,  Chapters  6  and  7 

THE  writer's  preparations  for  ushering  in  his  series  of 
judgments  on  the  world  and  the  existing  social  order 
are  now  complete.  The  occasion  of  the  prophecy,  its  trust- 
worthiness and  authority  have  been  set  forth  in  the  first 
chapter.  The  second  and  third  chapters  have  fulfilled  their 
purpose  in  addressing  both  comfort  and  admonition  to  the 
churches  of  Asia,  which  are  typical  of  all  Christian  churches 
then  and  now.  In  chapters  4  and  5  we  have  great  visions 
of  God  and  of  Christ,  of  the  Creator  and  the  Redeemer  who 
are  behind  and  within  the  great  world-movement  which  the 
prophet  is  about  to  describe.  The  drama  of  judgment  can 
now  begin. 

This  drama,  however,  does  not  unfold  of  itself.  Here  is  no 
impersonal  theory  of  history.  These  events  do  not  happen  of 
themselves.  The  author  has  used  not  only  a  high  degree  of 
literary  skill,  but  has  employed  a  social  conscience  which 
is  fundamentally  religious  and  Christian  in  portraying  these 
events  as  transpiring  only  under  the  hand  and  only  by  the 
will  and  foreknowledge  of  Christ.  He  alone  has  the  power 
to  set  in  motion  the  series  of  events  that  shall  judge  the 
world,  punish  evil,  overthrow  Satan,  vindicate  righteousness 
and  save  his  people.  It  is  in  the  light  of  such  a  revelation 
that  we  of  to-day  should  watch  and  study  the  events  of  his- 
tory. Never,  perhaps,  since  the  day  when  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lation was  written  have  men  had  such  a  grandiose  spectacle 
unfolded  before  their  eyes  of  world-movements  taking  place 

79 


80    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

under  the  shaping  hand  of  Christ.  Sometimes  this  world 
moves  so  leisurely  that  it  seems  as  if  for  centuries  it  stood 
still.  Sometimes  it  rolls  on  at  such  a  giddy  pace  that  in  a 
moment  of  time  it  seems  to  describe  the  orbit  of  centuries. 
Such  is  the  age  in  which  we  are  living.  How  much  it  would 
mean  for  us  if  we  could  view  the  great  revolutionary  events 
of  the  present  as  the  expression  in  history  of  the  shaping 
mind  of  Christ,  who  is  overturning  age-long  evils,  visiting 
judgment  on  an  an ti- Christian  world  order,  and  ushering  in 
his  kingdom!  All  over  the  world  great  revolutions  in  society 
and  industry  are  taking  place.  By  an  assertion  of  social  con- 
science such  as  no  modern  people  has  seen,  the  organized 
liquor  traffic  has  been  destroyed  by  one  blow  in  the  greatest 
industrial  nation  of  the  world.  Verily,  it  is  a  time  of  judg- 
ment, when  the  crowns  of  mediaeval  monarchs  have  been  roll- 
ing in  bewildering  succession  in  the  dust,  and  some  of  the 
evils  that  seemed  permanently  entrenched  in  society  have  been 
cast  aside. 

All  of  the  great  drama  of  the  past  few  years,  which  we 
have  witnessed,  is  akin  to  that  upon  which  the  writer  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation  looks  with  prophetic  eyes.  He  foresees 
for  his  day  what  we  have  seen  in  our  own.  He  describes  the 
judgment  which  is  to  be  visited  upon  a  cruel,  conscienceless 
tyranny  which  threatens  the  life  of  the  church  and  dares  to 
challenge  the  spirit  of  the  omnipotent  Christ.  The  sixth  chap- 
ter is  the  core  of  the  book,  in  the  sense  that  it  is  the  first 
of  the  three  descriptions  which  the  author  gives  of  the  disas- 
ters which  are  to  overtake  impious,  godless,  imperial  Rome. 
With  the  opening  of  the  successive  seals  of  the  Book  of  Des- 
tiny, the  prophet  beholds  Four  Horsemen  which  typify  four 
different  judgments  which  are  to  be  visited  upon  Rome.  The 
symbolism  of  the  chapter  is  plain  even  to  the  casual  reader. 
To  one  who  studies  its  origins,  it  becomes  as  clear  as  day- 
light. The  impressive  eloquence  of  this  description  of  woe 
and  desolation  cannot  be  heightened  by  any  extended  com- 
mentary.    It  is  sufficient  to  refer  to  a  recent  use  of  the  chap- 


JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION  81 

ter  which  illustrates  its  marvelous  adaptation  to  post-war 
conditions.  One  of  the  most  popular  of  the  books  produced 
by  the  war  has  been  that  by  Vicente  Blasco  Ibafiez  entitled, 
"The  Four  Horsemen  of  the  Apocalypse."  In  this  book  we 
have  a  great  effort  to  portray  in  human  speech  the  terrible 
realism  of  the  War.  Its  chapters  convey  a  never-to-be-for- 
gotten impression  of  the  horrors  of  the  German  invasion. 
The  author  can  find  no  imagery  more  adequate  to  his  purpose 
than  that  of  the  sixth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Revelation. 
He,  too,  sees  four  mythical  horsemen  riding  over  the  fields  of 
Flanders  and  of  France,  the  symbols  of  Invasion,  Civil  War, 
Famine,  and  Death.  He  has  given  us  in  modern  speech  an 
amplification  in  terms  of  modern  Europe  of  what  the  inspired 
author  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  first  saw  in  the  days  of 
ancient  Rome.  He  has  pictured  the  judgment  of  Christ  upon 
an  impious  world-order  of  our  day,  as  the  Book  of  Rovelation 
set  forth  the  judgment  about  to  be  visited  upon  imperial 
Rome  one  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Ibafiez  has  caught  the  original  inspiration  of  Revelation  and 
has  reproduced  it  in  modern  language  for  the  use  of  this 
present  generation. 

It  must  once  more  be  pointed  out  that  the  inspiration  of 
this  chapter,  rightly  viewed,  consists  not  only  in  its  literary 
style  and  lofty  eloquence.  It  is  seen  when  we  contrast  the 
apparent  strength  of  Rome  and  of  the  Christian  Idea  when 
this  chapter  was  written.  While  the  weaknesses  which  ulti- 
mately resulted  in  Rome's  overthrow  doubtless  already  existed 
when  this  Apocalypse  was  written,  they  were  not  generally  rec- 
ognized, nor  immediately  visible.  Rome  still  stood  like  a 
Colossus,  unmoved  and  apparently  immovable.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Christian  faith  was  represented  by  a  few  scattered 
companies  of  Christians,  recruited  for  the  most  part  from  the 
least  educated  and  influential  portions  of  the  population — an 
apparently  negligible  element  in  the  great  Roman  world.  Yet 
it  is  the  Idea  enshrined  within  those  Christian  communities, 
according  to  this  chapter,  which  is  to  destroy  the  Roman  Em- 


82    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  BEVELATION 

pire.    More  wonderful  still,  that  prophecy  was  fulfilled  within 
the  following  three  centuries. 

Chapter  6:  1.  When  Christ  opened  the  first  of  the  seven 
seals,  there  was  a  noise  like  thunder.  This  was  the  voice 
of  one  of  the  living  beings  who  told  me  to  come  and  see 
what  should  happen.  2.  First,  I  saw  a  white  horse  and 
on  it  a  bowman  representing  a  royal  nation  that  went 
forth  to  conquer.  3,4.  Next  I  saw  the  second  seal  opened 
and  I  heard  the  living  creature  summon  a  red  horse  and 
his  rider  who  typifies  civil  war  that  destroys  peace  from 
the  earth.  5,6.  The  third  seal  was  broken  and  I  heard  the 
voice  call  forth  a  black  horse  whose  rider  held  seals  in  his 
hand  representing  famine.  7,8.  When  the  fourth  seal  was 
opened  and  the  fourth  voice  had  spoken,  there  appeared 
a  gray  horse  and  its  rider.  This  was  death,  which  was 
to  consume  a  fourth  of  the  world.  9,10.  When  the  fifth  seal 
was  opened,  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of  the  martyrs 
clothed  in  white  who  cried  for  vengeance  on  their  enemies. 
11.  They  were  told  to  keep  quiet  a  little  time  longer  until 
the  number  of  martyrs  should  be  complete.  12,14.  At  the 
breaking  of  the  sixth  seal  there  followed  a  terrible  earth- 
quake that  shook  heaven  and  earth  and  15,16.  caused  all 
men,  the  mightiest  as  well  as  the  lowliest,  to  flee  in  terror 
from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb.  17.  This  was  the  Great  Day 
of  the  Lord. 

Notes  w.  2ff  For  the  Old  Testament  original  of  the  four 
horsemen,  the  student  will  refer  to  Zech.  6  :l-8.  They  person- 
ify the  four  powers  of  evil  which  throughout  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophets  are  the  agents  of  God  for  punishing  the  world 
for  its  sin  (see  Jer.  15:2-3,  24:10,  29:17-18,  42:17,  44:13; 
Ezek.  5:12,  17,  14:21,  33:25).  God  will  use  these  same  in- 
struments for  the  destruction  of  Rome.  Precisely  as  the  Old 
Testament  prophets  made  use  of  political  happenings  in  fore- 
telling the  destruction  of  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  the  author  of 
the  Apocalypse  used  the  signs  of  the  times  in  prophesying 
the  downfall  of  Rome,  the  restlessness  of  subject  peoples, 
social  disorders,  lack  of  food,  and  contemporary  convulsions 
of  nature.  This  fact,  however,  does  not  lessen  for  either  Old 
Testament  writers  nor  for  this  author  the  reach  of  a  faith 
which  could  confidently  declare  that  these  omens  presaged  the 
downfall   of  an   apparently  invincible  foe.     v.   2   The  white 


JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION  83 

horseman  does  not  typify  Christ.  His  entrance  is  reserved 
for  chapter  19.  It  is  not  conceivable  that  Christ  should  be 
presented  both  as  opening  the  seals  and  also  as  appearing  in 
response  to  the  summons  of  an  archangel.  As  indicated  by 
the  bow,  this  rider  symbolizes  the  Parthians,  one  of  the  most 
feared  of  Rome's  enemies,  who  fought  with  the  bow,  not  used 
as  a  rule  by  the  Romans.  White,  also,  is  the  sacred  color 
of  the  Persians,  for  whom  the  Parthians  stood  in  later  times. 
The  Red  Horseman  naturally  signifies  War,  specifically  the 
slaughter  of  war  and  perhaps  civil  war  ("they  should  kill  one 
another"),  v.  5  The  Black  Horseman  is  Famine,  a  scourge 
of  the  Eastern  world  then  as  now.  Black  fitly  represents  the 
ensuing  distress.  The  price  named  for  wheat  is  enormous, 
perhaps  twelve  times  the  usual  rate,  which  was  a  denarius 
(18  cents),  for  twelve  measures  (quarts)  of  wheat;  and  bar- 
ley cost  half  as  much.  v.  6  The  oil  and  the  wine  hurt  thou 
not.  These  words  have  been  interpreted  to  mean  that,  by  a 
kind  of  irony  of  fate,  the  luxuries  of  oil  and  wine  are  to  be 
left  untouched,  while  the  necessities  of  corn  and  wheat  are 
lacking.  The  words  oil  and  wine,  however,  are  regularly  used 
in  the  Old  Testament  for  the  products  of  the  earth  (Deut. 
7:13;  Neh.  5:11;  Joel  2:19).  It  seems  more  probable  to  sup- 
pose that  the  author  means  that  this  first  visitation  of  famine 
is  limited  in  scope  and  preparatory  to  the  more  dreadful 
calamities  to  follow  (chapter  8:lff).  The  Fourth  Horseman 
is  Death.  Only  a  portion  of  the  population  is  to  be  destroyed 
at  this  time  by  the  four  instrumentalities  mentioned  (cf.  Lev. 
26:22-26;  Mark  13:7-9).  v.  9  The  fifth  judgment  is  in  a 
class  by  itself.  It  was  an  ancient  apocalyptical  idea  that  the 
day  of  judgment  could  be  hastened  by  the  prayers  of  the 
saints  (Rev.  8:3,  4)  and  cries  of  the  martyrs  (Enoch  47; 
Luke  18:7,  8).  In  the  Old  Testament  uncovered  blood  is 
supposed  to  cry  for  vengeance.  In  the  blood  was  the  soul 
(Lev.  17:11).  Hence  when  blood  flowed,  the  slain  cry  for 
vengeance.  While  this  cry  of  the  martyrs  may  seem  to  fall 
below  the  prayer  of  St.  Stephen  (Acts  7:60),  it  must  be  un- 


84    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

derstood  as  a  passionate  appeal  of  suffering  righteousness 
for  the  vindication  of  Christ's  cause  for  which  the  martyrs 
stand.  (See  Whittier,  "The  Christian  Slave,"  Ps.  79:5-10; 
Heb.  12:24;  cf.  II  Esdras  4:35).  For  the  familiar  notion 
that  a  predestined  number  of  the  elect  must  be  fulfilled  before 
the  end,  compare  the  phrase  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer: 
"We  pray  thee  shortly  to  accomplish  the  number  of  thine 
elect  and  to  hasten  thy  kingdom."  v.  12  The  sixth  judgment 
is  an  earthquake,  frequent  in  the  East  then  as  now.  This  de- 
scription is  almost  a  reproduction  of  Matt.  24:29,  30.  (See 
Isa.  2:19;  Hos.  10:8;  Luke  23:20.)  v.  17  The  Great  Day  of 
the  Lord  is  a  familiar  apocalyptical  idea  from  the  time  of 
Zephaniah  (1:14,  15)  on.  It  was  a  fundamental  idea  in  the 
teaching  of  our  Lord  and  the  hope  of  the  Christian  church. 
It  was  the  standing  designation  of  the  judgment  day. 

These  great  forces  of  judgment  are  still  in  Christ's  hand. 
Once  more  they  have  been  let  loose  on  the  earth;  but  they  are 
all  subject  to  Christ.  Although  apparently  destructive,  they 
are  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  will.  Even  the  wrath  of 
man  and  of  nature  has  fulfilled  the  Divine  purpose.  Physical 
and  social  earthquakes  over  and  over  again  in  history  have 
ushered  in  a  new  and  a  better  order.  We  must  look  upon 
them  as  the  author  of  the  Apocalypse  did  as  "under  the  con- 
trol of  Him  who  has  the  welfare  of  mankind  at  heart."  They 
are  summoned  forth  by  the  Saviour  who  opens  the  seals.  Ours 
is  the  faith  that  even  the  most  feared  of  human  events  are 
obedient  to  his  work.  This  is  the  ground  of  our  Social  Hope. 
Thus  is  depicted  for  us  in  the  most  impressive  way  the  eternal 
truth  that  through  the  continuous  processes  of  nature  and 
man,  evil  shall  be  destroyed.  We  see  the  picture  of  the  pour- 
ing of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  all  iniquity  and  sin. 

Nowhere  does  the  literary  and  artistic  structure  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation  appear  more  clearly  than  in  the  chapter 
to  which  we  have  now  arrived.  Instead  of  having  the 
seventh   seal   broken    at   once,   and   bringing   the   first   series 


JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION         85 

of  judgments  to  a  close,  the  author  here  interrupts  this 
story  of  retribution  by  a  passage  in  which  is  depicted  in 
immortal  language  the  safety  of  God's  people.  The  literary 
effect  of  this  postponement  of  the  final  scene  in  the  drama  of 
judgment  is  to  heighten  the  expectation  of  the  reader.  Its 
moral  effect  upon  those  tried  and  persecuted  Christians  for 
whose  comfort  and  assurance  this  book  was  first  written  was 
to  create  the  conviction  that  nothing  in  nature  or  human 
events,  no  "principality  or  power,"  could  separate  them  from 
the  love  of  God.  Whatever  happened,  their  salvation  was 
sure.  Before  even  more  dreadful  scenes  of  judgment  were  re- 
vealed, this  beautiful  word  of  comfort  is  given  to  them  by 
the  prophet.  The  spiritual  meaning  of  this  chapter  for  all 
Christians  and  for  all  time  is  that  the  souls  of  the  righteous 
are  in  the  hand  of  God;  that  He  preserveth  all  that  put  their 
trust  in  Him.  This  chapter,  one  of  the  sweetest  and  most  fa- 
miliar in  the  New  Testament,  acquires  fresh  meaning  and  elo- 
quence from  an  understanding  of  its  position  in  the  Book 
of  Revelation,  and  the  message  which  it  brought  to  those  for 
whom  it  was  first  written. 

The  chapter  falls  into  two  parts.  The  first  section  com- 
prises verses  1-8,  and  the  second  section  the  rest  of  the  chap- 
ter. This  second  section  is  by  far  the  more  familiar  of  the 
two,  and  upon  it  the  Christian  heart  dwells  with  gratitude. 
The  first  section,  usually  overlooked,  is  seen,  however,  upon 
examination,  to  contain  a  spiritual  truth  of  great  significance 
and   of  immense  comfort. 

The  angels  of  God  stay  for  a  moment  the  tempest  of  wrath, 
and  another  angel  commands  them  to  prevent  the  destruction 
of  the  earth  until  the  servants  of  God  shall  have  received  the 
sign  and  pledge  of  their  salvation.  There  follows  what  may 
well  be  termed  a  family  roll-call.  The  tribes  of  Israel  are 
named  in  turn  and  in  each  tribe  all  are  "present  or  accounted 
for."  The  perfect  number  is  returned  for  each  one.  So  un- 
derstood, what  at  first  sight  appears  like  a  monotonous  and 
wearisome    repetition  of    names,  becomes    one  of    the  most 


86    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

eloquent  passages  in  this  eloquent  Book.  When  God  comes 
to  "count  up  his  jewels/'  to  number  the  redeemed,  He  begins, 
that  is,  with  his  own  family,  the  family  with  which  the  Bible 
began.  The  history  of  that  family  is  Bible  history.  The  name 
of  that  family  was  "the  children  of  Israel."  That  family  was 
destined  to  bring  into  the  world  the  knowledge  of  the  one, 
true  and  only  God.  Out  of  that  family  was  to  spring  He  who 
was  destined  to  be  the  Saviour  of  men.  And  now  at  the  end 
of  the  Bible,  which  has  told  of  this  great  family  history,  and 
of  what  it  had  done  for  the  world,  the  names  shall  be  called, 
the  names  of  the  children  of  Israel.  It  was  long,  long  ago 
that  we  first  heard  that  list  of  names.  It  was  away  back  in 
the  book  of  Genesis.  Jacob  had  come  into  Egypt,  "and  all 
his  seed  brought  he  with  him  into  Egypt";  and  then  for  the 
first  time  we  listened  to  the  names  of  the  members  of  that 
family  with  whom  we  were  to  become  so  familiar  and  whose 
fortunes  we  were  to  follow  for  so  many  hundreds  of  years: 
twelve  children,  twelve  sons,  and  their  names  follow, — Reu- 
ben, Simeon,  Levi,  Judah,  so  the  roll  goes  on,  and  the  last 
name  of  all  was  Dan.  And  now  we  have  come  to  the  end  of 
the  Bible,  and  once  more  that  list  of  names  is  going  to  be 
called.  Before  the  number  of  the  ten  thousand  times  ten  thou- 
sand, before  the  multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  first 
of  all  there  will  come  this  family  roll-call;  and  we  feel  that 
this  is  right,  that  this  is  the  way  it  should  be.  Judah's  name 
comes  first,  since  out  of  that  family  sprang  the  Lamb  of 
Judah  before  whose  throne  this  great  multitude  is  gathered. 
Each  answers  to  his  name  as  it  is  called.  Each  separate  fam- 
ily is  complete;  each  family  has  grown  to  number  twelve 
thousand.  The  full  number  is  twelve  times  the  twelve  thou- 
sand of  each. 

And  I  heard  the  number  of  them  which  were  sealed,  a 
hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  sealed  out  of  every 
tribe  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

Read  the  passage  so;  remember  that  it  is  the  last  time  that 
these  names  are  to  be  called;  think  of  the  great  history  of 


JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION  87 

that  family,  the  long  journey  they  had  traveled,  their  vicissi- 
tudes, struggles  and  labors;  remember  that  it  is  in  heaven,  in 
God's  own  home,  that  this  roll-call  is  heard,  and  how  beautiful 
and  tender  is  the  reading! 

Our  impression  of  the  eternal  worth  and  comfort  of  this 
family  roll-call  is  deepened  if  we  let  our  minds  rest  upon 
certain  salient  features  of  the  history  of  the  family  of  God. 
First,  it  was  a  scattered  family.  "Israel  is  as  a  scattered 
sheep"  (Jer.  50:17)  for  "Thou  hast  scattered  us  among  the 
heathen"  (Ps.  44:11).  That  family  had  never  really  lived  to- 
gether from  the  day  that  Joseph  went  down  into  Egypt.  Of 
the  twelve  tribes,  ten  were  afterwards  spoken  of  as  "lost." 
But  before  the  Bible  closes  we  have  this  beautiful  reunion 
picture.  Second,  the  history  of  this  family  was  very  eventful. 
Theirs  was  a  long,  troubled  and  tragic  career.  Every  strange 
and  terrible  event  that  could  befall  a  family  happened  to  the 
family  of  God.  They  were  spared  no  imaginable  affliction. 
It  was   of  that  home  that  the   prophet   wrote. 

O  thou  afflicted,  tossed  with  tempest  and  not  comforted 
(Isa.   54:  11). 

Its  grief  was  even  symbolized  by 

Kachael  weeping  for  her  children  and  refusing  to  be 
comforted  (Jer.  31:  15). 

And  yet,  before  the  Bible  closes,  we  find  the  word  of  promise 
kept, 

.  .  .  Thou  shalt  be  far  from  oppression;  for  thou  shalt  not 
fear,  and  from  terror,  for  it  shall  not  come  near  thee  (Isa. 
54:14). 

Third,  the  family  of  God  had  known  terrible  family  estrange- 
ments. These  brothers  had  hated  each  other  with  a  ferocity 
which  it  seemed  nothing  could  heal.  From  the  day  that  Jo- 
seph was  sold  into  Egypt,  through  the  period  of  the  Judges 
when  Benjamin  was  terribly  punished  by  his  brothers,  to 
the  division  of  the  kingdoms  which  resulted  in  permanent  fam- 


88    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

ily  alienation,  this  family  presents  a  record  of  uninterrupted 
discord  which  has  no  parallel  in  history.  How  wonderful,  it 
appears,  therefore,  before  the  Bible  ends,  to  find  even  these 
wounds  healed,  and  the  members  reunited  in  the  heavenly 
home.  And  how  prophetic  of  the  redemption  of  other  fam- 
ilies appears  this  final  roll-call,  for  none  can  have  been  more 
scattered,  more  afflicted,  more  divided.  How  our  faith  is  thus 
increased  in  the  final  reunion  of  the  families  of  God! 

There  is  one  more  significant  fact  to  be  noted  in  this  roll- 
call.  There  is  one  name  that  is  missing.  We  do  not  find  the 
name  of  Dan.  We  know  that  this  cannot  be  by  inadvertence. 
There  must  be  some  deep  moral  meaning  in  such  an  omission 
as  this.  And  there  is.  Dan  presents  the  most  tragic  career 
of  all  the  sons  of  Jacob.  There  seems  to  have  been  some- 
thing wrong  with  him  from  the  first.  When  the  dying  father 
came  to  breathe  his  prophetic  prayer  over  his  sons,  he  spoke 
a  strange  word  for  Dan: 

He  shall  be  a  serpent  in  the  way;   an  adder  in  the  path. 
(Gen.  49:17.) 

To  the  Hebrew  a  serpent  was  such  a  sinister  figure  that  this 
could  mean  only  a  sinister  end.  When  they  came  to  Canaan, 
Dan  did  a  strange  thing:  he  made  for  the  sea.  The  Hebrews 
had  such  an  antipathy  for  the  sea  that  that  could  only  mean 
that  Dan  cut  himself  off  from  the  real  genius  of  the  family 
life.  When  the  roll  is  called  in  the  Chronicles,  Dan  is  not 
there,  and  tradition  tells  us  that  it  was  from  Dan  that  the 
Anti-Chrisl  sprang,  who  was  to  deny  and  make  war  against 
the  Lord's  Anointed.  Dan  had  permanently  left  the  Lord  his 
God.  He  had  chosen,  by  himself,  to  set  up  his  will  against 
that  of  the  Almighty.  However  melancholy  the  omission  of 
his  name  may  seem  to  be,  let  us  remember  that  it  does  infinite 
justice  to  the  tragic  nature  of  moral  realities.  It  suggests  the 
solemn  lesson  that  by  one's  own  moral  choice  one  can  exclude 
oneself  from  participation  in  the  life  of  God.  While  there 
is  nothing  in  this  passage  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  a 
future  re-entrance  into  that  fellowship,  it  does  contain  a  cor- 


JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION  89 

rective  to  the  easy-going  assumption  that  just  because  one  is 
of  the  family  of  God,  one's  future  salvation  is  assured.  It 
does  teach  that  conscious  surrender  to  and  acceptance  of  the 
will  of  God  is  the  condition  of  being  among  the  number  of 
the  redeemed. 

The  second  section  (7:9-17)  of  this  chapter  is  among  the 
most  familiar  in  the  book.  It  is  frequently  read  when  we 
come  to  lay  away  our  dead.  It  calls  for  no  extended  com- 
ment. It  speaks  home  to  the  heart  with  a  music  all  its  own. 
Let  it  be  noted,  however,  that  the  Bible  is  the  only  book, 
and  Christianity  is  the  only  faith,  which  has,  after  taking 
care  of  its  own,  a  promise  for  the  great  unnumbered  multi- 
tude. From  this  point  of  view  the  words  "After  this"  are 
among  the  most  inspired  in  the  Bible.  They  point  to  the  im- 
mense catholicity  of  that  faith,  limited  to  no  chosen  people, 
to  no  particular  race,  but  including  within  its  reach  all  the 
children  of  men.  This  passage  points  to  the  universality  of 
that  company  of  the  redeemed  that  is  coterminous  with  the 
reach  of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God.  It  rebukes  all  particular- 
ism, and  provincialism  which  seeks  to  limit  the  number  of 
God's  saints  by  a  "strictness  which  He  will  not  own."  It 
tells  us  that  the  "love  of  God  is  broader  than  the  measure  of 
man's  mind"  and  that  "the  heart  of  the  Eternal  is  most  won- 
derfully kind."  And  it  tells  us  further  that  little  as  the  finite 
mind  can  recall  and  remember  every  last,  hidden  saint  of  God, 
He  remembers  them  all  and  calls  each  by  his  name  and  num- 
bers them  among  the  multitude  of  his  elect. 

Chapter  7,  1-2-3.  Then  I  saw  divine  Beings  appear  who 
restrained  the  forces  of  destruction,  and  another  arch- 
angel commanded  that  the  earth  should  no  longer  be  hurt 
until  all  the  servants  of  God  and  followers  of  Christ  should 
receive  the  mark  that  should  assure  their  safety.  4.  Then 
I  heard  the  roll  called  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  the  children 
of  God,  to  whom  the  covenant  of  God  was  made.  5-8.  As 
each  name  was  called,  the  full  and  perfect  number  of  that 
tribe  was  found  present  and  received  on  his  forehead  the 
seal  of  salvation.  9-12.  After  that  I  saw  a  multitude  of 
redeemed  before  the  throne  of  God  so  great  that  no  finite 


90     SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

mind  could  possibly  number  it.  These  came  from  all  na- 
tions and  peoples  on  the  earth,  and  they  stood  before  God 
and  Christ  and  worshipped  them.  13,14.  When  I  asked  one 
of  the  angels  who  they  were,  he  told  me  that  they  were 
faithful  souls,  who  preferred  persecution  and  death  to  dis- 
loyalty, 15,16.  and  therefore  are  now  given  the  victory 
over  every  form  of  human  privation  and  suffering  and  are 
in  the  protecting  care  of  God.  17.  In  the  fellowship  of 
Christ  they  forget  all  sorrow  and  are  in  perfect  felicity  and 
peace. 

Notes  v.  1  For  the  "four  winds,"  cf.  Jer.  49:36;  Dan.  7:2; 
Zech.  6:5.  v.  3  By  the  "seal"  is  meant  a  mark  of  authenti- 
cation (Rom.  4:11)  or  of  security  (Rev.  5:1,  20:3).  Both 
ideas  are  included  here  in  contrast  to  the  mark  of  the  beast 
(13:16ff)  (cf.  also  Gal.  6:17).  For  origins  of  the  idea  of 
a  brief  staying  of  the  forces  of  destruction,  see  Ezek.  9:4ff; 
Baruch  6:4ff.  It  is  probable  that  our  author  had  in  mind 
some  apocalyptical  source  in  which  a  calamity  threatening 
Israel  is  to  be  stayed  until  God's  chosen  ones  should  be  made 
safe.  v.  4  The  conception  of  a  "true  Israel's"  forming  the 
center  or  nucleus  of  the  elect  of  God  is  a  familiar  Bible  con- 
ception (cf.  Ezek.  9,  47:13-48;  35;  Rom.  3:1,  2;  Rom.  9:1-5). 

For  passages  relating  to  the  history  of  Dan,  see  Gen. 
49:17;  Jer.  8:16.  (See  also  Irenseus  V.  30,  2.)  Other  ex- 
planations for  the  omission  of  the  name  are  (1)  that  it 
is  due  to  a  copyist's  error,  and  (2)  that  the  tribe  had 
long  been  extinct.  The  name  is  found  in  I.  Chron.  2:2,  but 
is  omitted  in  I.  Chron.  7.  It  occurs  again  in  Ezek.  48:32. 
The  idea  already  suggested  for  the  omission  of  the 
name  is  accepted  by  many  recent  scholars.  To  fill  the  va- 
cancy caused  by  the  omission,  the  name  of  Joseph  is  added. 
By  the  144,000  the  author  doubtless  means  the  whole  body 
of  the  Church,  Jewish  and  Gentile  alike;  and  by  the  multi- 
tude, every  servant  of  God  wherever  found.  The  second 
section  (v.  9ff)  is  of  course  a  vision  of  the  final  consumma- 
tion, introduced  thus  early  to  encourage  those  who  are  threat- 
ened with  death.  No  great  number  of  martyrs  had  as  yet 
fallen  victims  to  the  Roman  persecutions.     This  is  the  first 


JUDGMENT  AND  SALVATION  91 

picture  of  the  Christian  heaven  (as  distinguished  from  the 
Jewish  idea  of  a  new  earth)  to  be  found  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. The  sources  for  the  description  of  the  blessedness  of 
the  redeemed  are  familiar  to  Bible  readers.  (Isa.  49:10;  Ps. 
121:6;  Isa.  25:8.)  The  word  throne  is  used  seven  times  in 
this  short  vision,  conveying  the  idea  of  the  power  of  God, 
and  the  perfect  obedience  to  Him  of  all  who  find  in  his  service 
their  perfect  freedom. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    SOUND    OF   THE    TRUMPETS 

Revelation,  Chapters  8  and  9 

THE  Heavenly  Interlude  being  over,  the  reader  is  ready 
to  have  the  seventh  and  last  seal  broken.  He  wonders 
what  judgment  can  be  reserved  for  the  climax  to  those  which 
have  preceded.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  discovers  that  the 
breaking  of  this  seal  results  in  the  beginning  of  a  new  series 
of  judgments.  Since  the  book  described  in  chapter  5  con- 
tained the  whole  drama  of  destiny,  the  seventh  seal  could 
not  end  it,  but  must  itself  lead  to  a  new  chapter  in  that 
total  description  of  the  judgment  of  evil  and  of  the  triumph 
of  righteousness.  In  the  same  way  the  blowing  of  the  seventh 
trumpet  opens  out  into  the  emptying  of  the  seven  bowls  of 
wrath  (chapter  16). 

The  blowing  of  the  seven  trumpets,  then,  introduces  a  new 
series  of  judgments  which  are  described  in  the  eighth  and 
ninth  chapters.  In  these  two  chapters  we  have  illustrations 
of  the  most  bizarre  imagery  to  be  found  in  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lation. The  light  of  the  sun  and  moon  is  darkened;  there 
are  earthquakes  and  volcanic  eruptions;  we  read  of  swarms 
of  locusts  with  men's  faces  and  hair  of  women  and  crowns 
like  gold,  and  of  horses  with  stings  in  their  tails,  emitting  fire 
and  brimstone.  If  we  can  understand  these  chapters,  we 
shall  have  no  difficulty  with  any  part  of  the  book. 

First  of  all,  it  is  necessary  to  understand  what  the  author 
is  trying  to  describe.  His  object  is  to  show  that  God  is 
ruling  his  world;  that  He  is  neither  dead  nor  asleep,  and 
that  his  suffering  servants  have  nothing  to  fear  at  the  hands 

92 


THE  SOUND  OF  THE  TRUMPETS        93 

of  the  pagan  empire,  since  that  empire  itself  is  opposed  by 
these  destructive  agents  in  the  hand  of  God.  God's  people 
who  have  his  seal  in  their  foreheads  shall  escape,  but  all 
who  do  not  repent  shall  be  destroyed.  There  is  an  interesting 
similarity  here  to  the  story  of  the  escape  of  the  Israelites 
from  Egypt,  of  the  sign  on  the  door-posts  and  of  the  plagues 
upon  the  Egyptians.  Much  in  the  description  of  the  plagues 
is  the  same:  frogs,  lice,  flies,  beasts,  hail,  boils,  locusts,  dark- 
ness and  death.  The  idea  is  the  same.  Another  and  a  worse 
oppression  has  overtaken  the  people  of  God,  and  He  uses  the 
same  agencies  of  destruction  as  before  to  compass  the  down- 
fall of  his  enemies. 

Again,  it  is  necessary  to  remember  that  this  series  of  judg- 
ments is  an  advance  upon  that  of  the  seals.  The  first  series 
told  of  the  more  ordinary  judgments,  the  beginnings  of  woes 
which  are  preparatory  to  the  final  consummation.  But  with 
the  sounding  of  the  trumpets  we  have  portrayed  the  awful 
plagues  preceding  the  final  conflict  and  all  other  events  issuing 
in  the  final  overthrow  of  evil  and  the  ushering  in  of  the  King- 
dom of  God.  We  should  naturally,  therefore,  expect  a  more 
highly  colored  apocalyptical  imagery  in  these  chapters  which 
describe  the  vast  world-movements  leading  up  to  the  end. 

Once  more,  it  needs  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  any  lan- 
guage seeking  to  describe  such  supernatural  events,  must 
itself  be  super-natural.  If  one  is  describing  the  ordinary 
processes  of  history,  one  can  use  ordinary  language.  But  if 
one  is  seeking  to  express  the  extraordinary  intervention  of 
God  in  behalf  of  his  cause  and  his  people,  through  nature  and 
man,  then  one  must  use  extraordinary  language.  All  apocalyp- 
tical language  is  extraordinary.  It  takes  on  necessarily  pic- 
turesque and  grandiose  forms,  since  it  attempts  to  portray 
the  resources  of  the  infinite  God  in  his  struggle  against  sin. 
When  once  we  understand  the  poetic  and  pictorial  nature  of 
this  language,  we  will  not  look  at  it  with  literalistic  eyes. 
We  will  not  press  it  too  closely  for  exact  interpretation  and 
understanding.     Of  course  it  has  never  happened  and  prob- 


94    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

ably  will  not  happen  during  the  lifetime  of  the  race  that  a 
third  of  the  earth  will  be  burned  up,  that  locusts  with  men's 
faces  will  appear,  that  horsemen  will  run  about  with  poisoned 
tails.  But  neither  did  Julia  Ward  Howe  see  Christ  trampling 
out  the  vintage  of  the  grapes  of  his  wrath.  This  is  poetic 
imagery,  the  general  meaning  of  which  is  that  the  judgments 
of  God  in  some  form  and  in  some  way  will  fall  on  evil-doers 
in  general,  and  in  particular  the  Roman  Empire,  which  is 
persecuting  Christians. 

In  the  next  place,  we  must  remember  that  in  a  general  way 
it  is  true  that  these  judgments,  described  in  language  that 
seems  so  fantastic,  are  based  upon  certain  natural  and  social 
phenomena  which  had  come  under  the  eye  and  within  the 
knowledge  of  the  prophet  who  uses  this  language.  It  will 
not  do  to  look  too  closely  for  actual  plagues  and  woes  of 
which  these  are  the  symbol.  On  the  other  hand,  contemporary 
events  doubtless  did  suggest  some  of  the  material.  This  has 
already  been  indicated  in  our  discussion  of  the  judgments  in 
chapter  6.  When  civil  war  was  referred  to  (6:4),  Rome  was 
on  the  brink  of  it;  when  the  Parthian  bowmen  were  alluded 
to  (6:2),  those  dreaded  foes  of  the  Romans  were  an  actual 
menace  to  the  peace  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Similarly,  when 
in  this  chapter  earthquakes,  eclipses,  and  volcanic  eruptions 
are  referred  to,  and  all  kinds  of  natural  horrors,  it  is  quite 
probable  that  the  prophet  has  in  mind  some  catastrophe  of 
recent  occurrence,  such  as  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  which  in 
the  first  century  had  destroyed  Pompeii.  Indeed,  it  is  not 
easy  as  one  reads  these  chapters  to  avoid  the  conviction  that 
John  himself  saw  from  the  island  of  Patmos  the  lurid  flames 
of  some  volcanic  eruption,  and  had  heard  from  fugitives 
of  how  fierce  beasts  had  destroyed  the  vegetation,  how  sulphur- 
ous vapors  had  killed  the  fish  in  the  sea,  how  waters  were 
reddened  as  by  blood,  and  how  islands  rose  and  sank  again. 
Such  phenomena  are  frequently  used  in  poetic  and  prophetical 
ways  in  the  Old  Testament.  What  more  natural  means  could 
be  imagined  for  depicting  the  judgment  upon   Rome?     The 


THE  SOUND  OF  THE  TRUMPETS        95 

same  facts  in  natural  history  lie  at  the  basis  of  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  invasion  of  locusts.  Ramsay  has  described  how 
he  was  the  eye-witness  of  such  a  plague.  The  locusts  ad- 
vanced in  thick  mass-forcnation,  in  almost  serried  ranks  with 
well-defined  lines.  At  their  head  there  went  leaders,  direct- 
ing the  mass  behind  them.  They  would  settle  on  fields  that 
were  fair  and  green,  but  when,  as  by  signal,  they  rose  again, 
not  one  blade  of  green  or  living  thing  would  be  left  behind 
them.  The  earth  was  as  barren  as  if  it  had  been  burned 
off  by  fire.  Such  plagues  were  of  common  knowledge  in  those 
districts  of  Asia  Minor.  If  one  understands  these  features 
of  Eastern  geography,  these  descriptions  do  not  seem  half 
as  mysterious  as  they  may  have  appeared  at  first. 

Finally,  we  must  render  account,  as  always,  of  the  sources 
from  which  the  author  drew.  As  has  been  said,  one  reason 
why  we  find  chapters  like  these  strange,  is  because  we  our- 
selves are  strangers  to  those  portions  of  the  Old  Testament 
which  furnished  the  material  for  them.  Nearly  every  figure 
thus  far  used  in  Revelation  is  taken  directly  from  some  pas- 
sage in  the  Old  Testament.  This  chapter  is  no  exception. 
For  the  fiery  hail  of  8 :7,  we  recall  Ex.  9 :23 ;  for  the  volcanic 
eruption  of  8:8,  Jer.  51:25;  for  the  poisoned  springs  (8:10) 
Ex.  7:20-21;  for  the  darkness  of  the  heavens  (8:12)  Ex. 
10:21-23,  "a  darkness  which  may  be  felt";  for  the  locusts 
(9:3ff)  Ex.  10:12-15,  and  Joel  2:4-11:  "the  appearance  of 
them  is  as  the  appearance  of  horses,  whose  teeth  are  the 
teeth  of  a  lion."  Finally,  the  horsemen  (9:16ff)  are  doubtless 
suggested  by  the  passage  in  Zech.  6,  to  which  reference  has 
already  been  made  (see  chap.  6)  and  also  by  a  passage  in 
Habakkuk  (1:8)  in  which  the  prophet  speaks  of  the  Chal- 
deans whose  horses  are  swifter  than  the  leopards  and  more 
fierce  than  the  enemy  wolves,  "and  their  horsemen  shall  spread 
themselves  and  come  from  far;  and  they  shall  fly  as  the  eagle 
that  hasteth  to  eat."  Is  it  not  clear  that  if  all  these  passages 
were  familiar  to  us  as  we  read  these  two  chapters  of  Reve- 
lation,  those   chapters   would   have   seemed   familiar   reading 


96    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

also?  If  it  is  true  in  general  that  a  knowledge  of  the  Old 
Testament  is  necessary  to  an  understanding  of  the  New,  that 
statement  is  particularly  and  convincingly  true  of  the  Book 
of  Revelation. 

The  reader  will  note  with  respect  to  this  second  series  of 
judgments  that  just  as  in  the  first  series  we  had  four  specific 
plagues  under  the  figures  of  the  Four  Horsemen,  but  that 
the  fifth  and  sixth  were  different  in  character  (the  prayers 
of  the  saints  and  a  general  judgment),  so,  in  chapters  8  and 
9  the  first  four  trumpets  usher  in  definite  catastrophes,  but 
the  fifth  and  sixth  precede  more  elaborate  visions. 

Chapter  8:  1.  "When  Christ  broke  the  seventh  seal  there 
followed  an  ominous  silence.  2.  Then  the  seven  angelic 
beings  who  stand  before  God  were  given  seven  trumpets,  3. 
and  an  archangel  appeared  with  a  censer  of  incense  which 
he  laid  upon  the  altar  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints.  4. 
This  was  a  witness  that  these  prayers  would  become  an 
instrument  of  God  in  the  execution  of  his  authority  and 
power.  5.  For  when  the  angel  took  the  fire  from  the  altar 
made  by  the  mingling  of  the  incense  and  prayers  and  cast 
it  upon  the  earth,  there  followed  manifestations  of  power 
in   thunders   and   earthquakes   and  lightnings. 

6.  Then  the  seven  angels  in  succession  blew  their  trumpets. 
7.  At  the  blowing  of  the  first  trumpet,  there  came  a  fiery 
hailstorm  that  consumed  a  third  of  the  vegetation  of  the 
earth.  8,  9.  At  the  second,  a  fiery  mass  so  large  that  it 
seemed  like  a  mountain  fell  into  the  sea  and  destroyed  a 
third  of  the  fish  and  of  commerce.  10,  11.  At  the  sound  of 
the  third,  a  comet  blazing  like  a  torch  fell  from  the  sky 
upon  the  rivers  of  the  earth  and  poisoned  their  waters  so 
that  a  multitude  of  people  perished.  12.  When  the  fourth 
trumpet  sounded,  an  eclipse  so  terrible  took  place  that  a 
third  of  sun,  moon  and  stars  were  stricken  with  blackness 
so  that  the  world  was  in  darkness  for  a  third  of  the  day 
and  night.  13.  Before  the  next  trumpet  blast,  an  eagle 
flying  in  mid-heaven  proclaims  doom  upon  men  because  of 
the  woes  which  are  to  follow. 

9:  1.  Then  the  fifth  angel  blew,  and  an  angel-star  fell 
on  th-3  earth  and  an  abyss  was  opened  to  which  this  angel 
had  the  key.  2.  Out  of  this  pit  came  smoke  as  from  a 
huge  cauldron  which  darkened  the  atmosphere.  3.  And  out 
of  the  smoke  came  swarms  of  locusts  which  had  the  stinging 
power  of  scorpions;  4.  and  this  power  was  to  be  used  not 
upon  vegetation  but  upon   men  who  were  not  sealed  with 


THE  SOUND  OF  THE  TRUMPETS        97 

the  sign  of  God.  5,  6.  And  their  sting  when  they  struck  was 
not  to  prove  fatal  at  once  but  was  to  cause  an  agony  that 
would  be  indefinitely  prolonged  until  the  men  longed  in 
vain  for  death.  7.  In  form  these  locusts  resembled  huge 
war-horses,  but  they  had  royal  crowns  on  their  heads  which 
were  like  those  of  human  beings,  with  a  face  like  a  man, 
8.  hair  like  a  woman,  and  teeth  like  a  lion.  9.  They  were 
clad  in  armor  of  iron,  and  when  they  flew  there  was  the 
sound  of  racing  chariots  and  of  cavalry  rushing  to  battle. 
10.  Their  poisonous  striking-power  was  in  their  tails,  and 
those  whom  they  struck  were  tortured  for  a  long  time.  11. 
And  these  demon-powers  had  a  king  over  them,  even  the 
angel  who  had  opened  the  abyss  to  release  them,  whose  name 
in  Hebrew  is  AbadVlon,  but  in  Greek  Apollyon.  12.  Here 
endeth  the  first  woe.     But  the  worst  are  to  follow. 

13.  Then  the  sixth  angel  sounded  his  trumpet;  14.  and  a 
voice  from  the  very  presence  of  God  commanded  him  to 
unleash  the  four  angelic  beings  that  were  bound  at  the 
river  Euphrates,  15.  who  had  been  kept  ready  for  that 
very  hour  of  that  day  and  month  and  year  to  kill  the  third 
of  men.  16.  And  the  number  of  the  troops  of  their  cavalry 
was  two  hundred  millions  (I  heard  the  exact  number). 
17,  18.  And  this  is  how  the  horses  and  their  riders  looked  in 
my  vision.  Their  armor  was  not  of  iron  and  steel,  but  of 
fire  and  brimstone.  And  out  of  the  mouths  of  the  horses 
which  had  heads  like  lions  there  came  blasts  of  fire  and 
smoke  as  from  a  volcano,  19.  for  they  had  power  in  their 
mouths  as  well  as  in  their  tails,  which  had  heads  like  ser- 
pents that  struck  and  hurt  men.  20,  21.  Terrible  as  these 
plagues  were,  however,  the  men  who  were  not  destroyed  by 
them  did  not  repent  and  did  not  forsake  worshipping  de- 
mons and  senseless  idols  and  did  not  give  up  murders  and 
superstitious  practices  and  all  kinds  of  immorality. 

Notes  8:1  The  profound  silence  gives  striking  dramatic  ef- 
fect to  what  follows.  Half  an  hour  would  seem  to  denote 
a  long  pause,  v.  2  The  seven  angels  are  referred  to  as  if  well- 
known;  but  they  do  not  appear  in  the  earlier  visions,  unless 
they  are  the  same  as  the  seven  spirits  of  1 :4,  4 :5,  5 :6.  They 
are  doubtless  the  seven  archangels  familiar  to  Jewish  apoca- 
lypses (cf.  Tobit  12:15;  Enoch  81:5,  90:21ff;  Luke  1:19). 
w.  3-5  There  is  in  this  passage  no  suggestion  of  the  media- 
tion of  an  angel  between  the  prayers  of  the  saints  and  God. 
Such  an  idea  is  found  in  Tobit  12:12,  15,  etc.,  but  not  in  the 
New  Testament.     The  idea  is  rather  that  the  incense  of  the 


98    SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

angel  re-enforces  the  prayers  and  accompanies  them  and  au- 
thenticates their  efficacy.  For  the  altar  of  incense,  cf.  Ex. 
30:lff;  Lev  4:7.  The  idea  of  prayers  as  agents  of  Divine 
Power,  already  occurring  in  6:9,10,  is  a  dramatic  descrip- 
tion of  the  social  value  of  intercessory  prayer.  We  do  not 
often  enough  think  of  prayer  as  a  form  of  social  work  (cf. 
Col.  4:12).  v.  5  cf.  Ezek.  10:2,  from  which  the  idea  is  doubt- 
less taken.  The  same  idea  in  other  forms  of  an  immediate 
Divine  answer  to  prayer  is  found  in  Matt.  3:16,  17;  John 
12 :28,  29.  The  prominence  given  in  these  visions  to  the  mani- 
festation of  the  anger  of  God  is  a  characteristic  of  all  apoca- 
lypses, which  belong  to  times  of  persecution  and  denote  the 
power  of  God  to  overthrow  evil  when  the  power  of  God's 
servants  appears  inadequate  to  the  task.  We  need  always 
this  faith  as  a  part  of  our  working  religious  apparatus. 
The  remarkable  spiritual  eloquence  of  the  description  of  these 
terrors  will  not  escape  the  reader,  v.  7  (cf.  Ex.  9:23ff  and 
Ps.  18:3).  The  addition  of  blood  here  may  be  suggested  by 
Ex.  7:17ff  and  Joel  2:30.  v.  11  The  idea  of  a  corruption 
of  water  is  taken  from  Ex.  7:20,  21,  and  the  name  wormwood 
from  Jer.  9:15  (cf.  also  Jer.  23:15;  Lam.  3:15,  19;  Deut. 
29:18;  Prov.  5:4).  v.  12  For  the  plague  of  darkness,  cf.  Ex. 
10:21ff;  Isa.  13:10;  Joel  2:31;  Amos  8:9.  v.  13  The  better 
reading  of  the  Revised  Version  substitutes  "eagle"  for  "angel." 
The  eagle  is  used  as  messenger  in  the  Jewish  apocalypses. 
Chapter  9:1-11  The  vision  of  the  locusts  is  taken  from  Ex* 
10:12flf  and  Joel,  chapters  1  and  2,  but  the  locusts  are  here 
transformed  into  supernatural  creatures,  whose  characteristics 
are  in  part  taken  from  fantastic  exaggeration  of  natural  lo- 
custs and  in  part  from  mythological  tradition.  The  author 
treats  freely  and  with  apocalyptical  imagination  the  materials 
which  he  uses  as  a  basis  for  his  description.  9:1  The  idea 
that  stars  had  a  conscious  personality  is  common  in  Jewish 
writings  (cf.  Judges  5:20;  Job  38:7).  Cf.  also  Enoch  21:6, 
"these  are  the  number  of  the  stars  of  heaven  which  have 
transgressed    the    commandment    of   the    Lord."      (See    Jude 


THE  SOUND  OF  THE  TRUMPETS        99 

v.  13.)  The  star  here  is  certainly  not  Satan,  who  nowhere 
in  Revelation  appears  as  an  agent  of  God.  "Bottomless  pit" 
is  used  in  a  general  sense  of  the  underworld  in  Rom.  10:7; 
Ps.  71:20,  and  also  in  a  specific  sense  of  the  prison  of  evil 
spirits  in  Lk.  8:31,  and  elsewhere  in  Revelation  (11:7; 
20:1,  3).  It  is  represented  as  locked,  (cf.  Rev.  1:18.)  V.  2 
(cf.  Ex.  19:18;  Joel  2:10).  w.  5,  6  Five  months  (see  v.  10). 
Visitations  of  locusts  in  the  East  occur  during  the  five  dry 
months.  (For  v.  6,  cf.  Job  3:21.)  v.  7  There  is  an  Arab 
saying  that  the  locust  has  a  head  like  a  horse,  a  breast  like 
a  lion,  feet  like  a  camel,  a  body  like  a  serpent,  and  hair  like 
a  maiden  (probably  suggested  by  the  antennae  of  the  locust). 
v.  11  For  an  opposite  idea  see  Prov.  30 :27.  Abaddon  means 
destruction  or  the  place  of  destruction.  Sheol  or  Hades  is 
personified  in  Job  26:6,  Prov.  15:11.  (cf.  Rev.  6:8.)  The 
word  Abaddon  occurs  only  here,  and  the  author  translates  it 
into  Greek  (Apollyon  meaning  Destroyer),  v.  14ff  (cf.  Ezek. 
38:14n\)  From  Ezekiel  on,  an  invasion  of  a  fierce  host  be- 
comes a  standing  apocalyptical  event,  (cf.  Isa.  5:26ffi;  Jer. 
l:14ff,  4:13,  6:22f,  47:3,  50:42;  Joel  3:9ff;  Zech.  14:2.)  To 
this  idea  the  author  adds  his  fabulous  and  supernatural  de- 
scriptions of  this  aerial  cavalry.  The  location  of  this  host 
at  the  river  Euphrates  suggests  the  Parthians.  v.  15  It  seems 
probable  that  the  author  had  taken  this  idea  of  four  angels 
from  a  familiar  tradition  in  which  four  destructive  powers 
(angels,  winds)  come  forth  from  the  four  quarters  of  the 
earth,  (cf.  Zech  6:1-8;  Dan.  7:2).  To  this  is  added  the  de- 
rived notion  that  these  agents  of  destruction  are  the  leaders 
of  the  Parthians,  located  at  the  Euphrates.  The  idea  of  a 
fixed  time  is  central  in  all  apocalypses,  v.  18  (cf.  Job  41 :19ff.) 
Fire-breathing  monsters  are  figures  in  all  mythology,  w. 
20,  21  It  is  a  familiar  and  tragic  fact,  abundantly  proved  in 
history,  that  men  are  not  long  sobered  by  even  the  most  ter- 
rible calamities.  The  resistance  of  men's  moral  nature  to  the 
lessons  of  great  catastrophes  constitutes  one  of  the  most  baf- 
fling problems  in  moral  and  religious  psychology.     Compare 


100  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Eugene  Sue's  terrible  description  in  "The  Wandering  Jew" 
of  the  levity  of  Paris  during  the  cholera  scourge.  We  are 
told  that  when  the  plague  was  at  its  height  in  London  in  1665, 
riot  and  vice  were  rampart.  "Neither  repented  they  of  their 
murders,  nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor 
of  their  thefts." 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE    SECOND    INTERLUDE 

Revelation,  Chapters  10  and  11:1-14 

STUDENTS  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  who  hold  that  it 
is  not  a  unity,  and  that  interpolated  sections  are  to  be 
found  in  it  which  must  be  removed  and  the  material  rear- 
ranged in  order  to  discover  its  original  form,  find  food  for 
their  argument  in  these  two  chapters.  Surely  here,  they  say, 
we  find  an  unaccountable  interruption  in  the  argument.  Just 
as  we  are  about  to  hear  the  seventh  trumpet  blow  which 
will  usher  in  the  climax  of  the  judgment,  the  process  is  halted 
so  that  the  prophet  may  receive  anew  his  commission.  But 
how  could  he  have  received  that  commission  more  solemnly 
than  in  the  opening  chapter?  Why  should  these  chapters  be 
inserted  here  The  habit  of  rearranging  the  material  in  Bible 
books  to  make  it  more  logical  is  itself  open  to  grave  objections. 
It  will  not  do  to  classify  inspiration  with  topical  exactitude. 
The  moods  of  the  soul  do  not  obey  the  categories  of  the 
logician.  Emotion  does  not  proceed  in  orderly  progression. 
What  are  looked  upon  as  interruptions  and  interpolations 
are  often  the  breaking  through  of  pent-up  feeling,  the 
resurgence  of  spiritual  ideas  that  wreck  the  program  while 
they  reveal  the  soul. 

Without  doubt  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  was 
overtaken  by  such  a  mood  when  he  reached  the  point  to  which 
we  have  now  arrived.  From  the  point  of  view  of  dramatic 
surprise  and  literary  effect,  nothing  could  have  served  his 
purpose  so  well.  He  is  about  to  advance  to  the  last  series 
of  judgments  which  itself  will  lead  up  to  the  final  collision 

101 


102  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

between  the  Empire  and  the  church,  Satan  and  Christ,  the 
evil  and  the  good,  which  in  turn  will  usher  in  the  day  of 
judgment  and  the  day  of  salvation.  Here  the  prophet  pauses 
to  gather  strength  for  this  final  effort  of  the  soul  to  depict 
these  great  and  culminating  events.  He  recoils,  as  it  were, 
upon  himself.  The  tides  of  the  spirit  which  have  spent  them- 
selves in  the  awe-inspiring  description  of  the  sounding  of 
the  trumpets  recede  into  the  depths  of  the  soul  before  they 
rise  once  more  to  even  greater  heights.  The  prophet  must 
receive  a  fresh  commission  before  he  can  proceed.  And  if 
the  prophet  needs  this  fresh  assurance,  so  do  his  readers. 
Precisely  as  chapter  7  was  intended  to  assure  them  of  their 
safety  before  the  trumpets  were  sounded,  so  chapter  11  is 
written  to  convince  them  that  nothing  can  violate  the  inner 
shrine  of  God's  Temple,  nothing  can  destroy  his  witnesses 
until  their  testimony  is  complete. 

"In  this  use  of  preludes  should  be  noted  the  splendid  al- 
ternation of  light  with  shadow.  Before  every  vision  of  gloom 
and  terror,  the  writer  introduces  a  glimpse  of  the  radiant 
glory  that  lies  beyond.  .  .  .  The  assurance  of  hope,  the  prom- 
ise of  victory  ...  is  offered  anew  with  every  new  approach 
of  trial.  .  .  .  Nothing  could  more  clearly  show  that  the  su- 
preme purpose  of  the  book  was  to  cheer  and  sustain  through 
the  awful  troubles  that  were  coming  on  the  world." '  Just 
so,  in  every  time  of  trial,  of  delayed  hope,  of  unfulfilled  ex- 
pectation, these  chapters  will  do  their  work  in  heightening 
the  Social  Hope  of  all  Christians.  It  is  this  which  gives  the 
Book  of  Revelation  its  unique  and  imperishable  place  in  the 
literature  of  the  soul.  These  chapters  instead  of  being  an 
interruption,  belong  just  where  they  are,  according  to  any 
true  spiritual  understanding  alike  of  the  book  and  of  the  needs 
of  the  human  heart.  Just  as  in  the  case  of  the  previous  in- 
terlude, this  postponement  of  the  final  catharsis  heightens 
the  imagination  and  expectancy  of  the  reader. 

At  the  opening  of  chapter  10  the  author  tells  us  that  he 

iBeckwith,  p.   245. 


THE  SECOND  INTERLUDE  103T 

was  about  to  proceed  with  his  revelation  of  the  last  things 
and  to  interpret  the  voices  of  thunder  which  he  heard  when 
he  was  told  to  stop.  He  was  not  yet  competent  to  utter  these 
thing-s.  They  would  be  revealed  only  when  the  last  angel 
sounded.  In  the  meantime  he  must  himself  "inwardly  di- 
gest" these  things  before  being  competent  to  utter  them. 
It  is  impossible  to  say  just  what  were  the  contents  of  the  lit- 
tle book,  beyond  that  it  contained  the  prophecies  that  were 
to  follow.  This  chapter  expresses  in  symbolic  form  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  writer  that  his  work  here  takes  a  fresh 
start  which  carries  it  to  its  consummation.  Viewed  in  this 
light,  the  chapter  which  stands  almost  at  the  exact  center  of 
the  book  serves,  as  it  were,  as  a  "powerful  clamp"  *  by  means 
of  which  its  different  parts  are  held  together.  It  looks  back 
to  chapter  1  where  the  prophet  receives  his  first  commission, 
and  forward  to  all  the  coming  mysteries  of  God. 

After  the  prophet  himself  has  thus  been  inwardly  prepared 
to  proceed,  his  hearers  receive  the  assurance  which  they  need. 
This  is  expressed  in  two  short,  eloquent  visions,  the  spiritual 
signification  of  which  constitutes  an  imperishable  ground  for 
the  Social  Hope,  making  the  eleventh  chapter  one  of  the 
most  eloquent  in  the  entire  book.  The  first  of  these  visions 
occupies  only  the  first  and  second  verses.  The  prophet  is  told 
to  measure  the  Temple,  the  altar,  and  them  that  worship  there; 
but  not  to  measure  the  outer  court.  There  is,  then,  an  outer 
court,  and  there  is  an  inner  shrine.  Now  there  is  no  promise 
made  about  the  outer  court:  "leave  it  without,  measure  it 
not."  But  the  inner  shrine,  that  he  can  measure;  and  the 
implication  is  that  he  will  find  the  measures  perfect:  it  will 
lie  foursquare.  The  outer  court  may  be  destroyed,  but  the 
inner  shrine  is  indestructible. 

The  original  Jewish  author  of  this  inspired  and  comfort- 
able parable  doubtless  wrote  it  with  reference  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  in  the  year  A.D.  70.  At  that  terrible  time 
when  under  the  armies  of  the  Emperor  Titus,  the  city  and 

1  See  Scott,  Revelation,  p.  205. 


104  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

the  Temple  were  laid  low  and  devastated,  he  wrote  to  en- 
courage the  Jews  to  believe  that  though  the  nations,  the  Gen- 
tiles, the  heathen,  might  ravage  the  outer  and  visible  court  of 
the  Temple,  they  could  never  destroy  the  inner  shrine  of  holi- 
ness, the  altar  and  them  that  worship  therein. 

Those  scenes  were  long  past  when  the  Christian  author 
wrote  this  book  of  Revelation.  Yet  he  preserves  this  little 
Jewish  bit  of  inspiration  for  his  own  ends.  It  is  not  the 
Jewish  city  that  is  now  threatened,  but  the  early  Christian 
community:  the  little  handful  of  Christians  who  compose  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia,  the  groups  of  witnessing  Christians 
at  Ephesus,  and  Pergamum,  and  Thyatira.  So  when  he  uses 
the  word  temple,  he  is  not  thinking  of  the  temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem, but  he  is  thinking  of  these  little  churches,  and  the  edi- 
fice of  the  Christian  faith,  and  the  separate  lives  of  the  Chris- 
tian disciples.  We  remember  how  in  the  early  chapters  of 
the  book  the  author  has  spoken  of  them  as  pillars  in  the  Tem- 
ple. It  is  in  that  sense  that  he  uses  the  word.  In  those  days 
of  persecution  and  of  martyrdom  and  of  death,  what  he  says 
is  this:  The  outer  court  may  be  ravaged  by  our  oppressors; 
it  may  be  cast  out ;  our  assemblies  may  be  broken  up ;  our  lead- 
ers may  be  put  to  death;  our  services  may  be  suppressed; 
our  bodies  may  be  destroyed.  These  have  been  given  over 
unto  the  nations  and  for  forty-two  months — definite  time,  that 
is — they  will  tread  these  holy  things  under  foot.  But  measure 
the  inner  shrine,  measure  the  altar,  and  you  will  find  that 
it  has  been  preserved  inviolable  and  intact.  The  body  of 
the  Christian  confessor  may  be  destroyed,  but  not  his  soul. 
The  church  building  may  be  ruined,  but  not  its  faith.  The 
church  community  may  be  destroyed,  but  not  its  hope.  These 
are  the  inner  shrine.  These  are  inviolable  and  indestructible. 
Fathom  if  you  can  the  bottomless  comfort  which  such  an 
assurance  brought  to  the  persecuted  Christians  for  whom 
this  book  was  written. 

Those   days  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  lie  far  behind  us. 
Nero  is  no  longer  on  his  throne;  the  hand  that  was  raised 


THE  SECOND  INTERLUDE  105 

to  destroy  the  Christian  church  lies  mouldering  in  the  dust. 
The  church  of  Christ  goes  marching  on  down  through  the 
ages.  Consider  how  immortal  is  this  message  of  the  indestruct- 
ible inner  shrine  which  remains  in  the  midst  of  the  devasta- 
tion by  the  nations  of  the  outer  court  of  the  temple  of  God! 
What  wonderful  confirmations  of  the  truth  of  this  parable 
have  been  given  us  through  the  ages  of  history  even  down 
to  our  own  time! 

1.  Let  the  temple  stand  for  the  soul  of  a  nation.  What 
does  the  parable  in  these  two  verses  tell  us?  It  tells  us  that 
the  outer  court  may  be  ravaged  by  the  oppressors;  they  can 
turn  it  into  a  charnel-house  and  a  shambles;  they  can  pro- 
fane it  and  trample  it  under  foot  for  a  set  time.  There  re- 
mains the  inner  shrine;  there  remains  the  soul  of  the  people. 
Measure  it  and  you  will  find  it  preserved.  Nothing  has  de- 
stroyed it.  Nothing  can  destroy  it.  It  remains  untouched 
and  inviolable.  The  soul  of  Belgium,  France,  Armenia — that 
is  the  inner  shrine.  The  soil  of  Belgium,  that  is  the  outer 
court.  For  forty-two  months  and  a  little  over  that  outer 
court  was  profaned  by  every  injury  and  insult  that  could  be 
heaped  upon  it.  It  was  trodden  under  swine's  feet  and 
made  a  heap  of  mud  and  indescribable  refuse.  Its  cities 
were  given  over  to  the  nations  and  they  visited  them  with 
every  manner  of  injury  that  the  cunning  hate  and  ingenious 
deviltry  of  man  could  devise.  Woods  and  orchards  were 
turned  into  charred  acres  of  land.  Meadows  and  gardens 
look  as  if  they  had  been  devastated  by  a  blast  of  Sahara. 
But  the  soul  of  Belgium!  Did  anything  touch  it?  Measure 
it.  It  lies  foursquare.  The  soul  of  France!  was  it  destroyed? 
Measure  it.  Does  it  fail  to  meet  the  test?  "And  there  was 
given  to  me  a  reed  like  a  rod." 

2.  Apply  this  to  the  Christian  faith,  to  the  Christian  teach- 
ing, to  the  Christian  church.  Here  also  there  is  the  inner 
shrine  and  the  outer  court.  Remember  this,  and  you  will  be 
given  comfort  and  hope  in  many  a  dark  and  dreary  day. 
That  outer  court  began  to  be  invaded  long  ago.     The  heathen 


106  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

had  begun  to  desecrate  the  outer  precincts.  They  were  pull- 
ing down  the  walls  and  bulwarks  of  faith.  Wise  men  had 
begun  to  substitute  evolution  for  God;  they  substituted  sci- 
ence for  faith;  they  put  up  progress  in  the  place  of  provi- 
dence. They  attacked  the  supernatural  and  called  it  a  myth; 
they  attacked  the  Scriptures  and  called  it  all  a  pious  tradi- 
tion; they  attacked  the  authenticity  of  the  Gospels  and  re- 
duced them,  as  they  thought,  to  ruins.  There  did  not  seem 
to  be  much  left  of  the  outer  courts.  The  nations  were  tram- 
pling under  feet  what  the  saints  had  thought  to  be  the  most 
indestructible  creeds  and  unassailable  propositions.  Many 
had  taken  alarm  and  felt  as  if  the  edifice  of  faith  were  doomed 
to  destruction.  Then  came  the  World  War  in  1914;  then 
came  the  spectacle  of  300,000,000  Christians  trying  to  ex- 
terminate each  other.  The  hounds  of  hell  were  let  loose  by 
those  who  had  confessed  themselves  to  be  followers  of  the 
meek  and  lowly  Jesus.  And  the  scorners  laughed  aloud  at 
the  bitter  mockery  and  the  hideous  grinning  skull  of  what 
looked  like  colossal  Christian  hypocrisy,  and  they  poured  con- 
tempt upon  the  Christian  teachings  and  the  Christian  churches 
that  had  failed  to  prevent  so  infernal  a  tragedy.  Yet  all  the 
while  there  was  the  inner  shrine;  there  was  the  inviolable 
essence  of  the  Christian  faith;  there  was  the  soul  of  Jesus. 
Has  anything  touched  the  soul  of  Jesus?  We  have  read  of  a 
church  building  in  France  which  was  made  a  charnel-house 
by  German  shells.  Walls  were  battered  in;  ruins  of  plaster 
and  glass  lay  all  over  the  floor;  a  huge  beam  rested  over  the 
altar.  But  in  the  midst  of  it  there  was  the  crucifix,  unharmed, 
untouched.  And  the  cross  of  Christ  has  remained  untouched 
alike  by  the  debates  of  the  wise  men,  by  the  wisdom  of  the 
scientists,  and  by  the  hand  of  Hun  and  of  vandals.  "And 
there  was  a  reed  given  me  like  a  rod."  The  worshipping  soul 
of  man,  and  the  eternal  soul  of  Christ — these  are  the  inner 
shrine. 

3.  Or  here  is  the   church.      How   men   have   criticized   it! 
Baiting  the  church  is  the  easiest  and  commonest  sport  of  the 


THE  SECOND  INTEELUDE  107 

day.  Every  one  has  to  have  a  fling  at  it.  Every  one  has  to 
throw  some  insulting  word  at  it.  Every  one  must  find  fault 
with  it.  How  worn-out  are  its  creeds ;  how  barren  its  services ; 
how  wooden  its  ministers;  how  impotent  its  witnesses;  how 
insignificant  and  negligible  its  influence!  Its  outer  court  has 
been  trampled  all  over  and  criss-crossed  by  profane  and  in- 
sulting mockery.  Many  have  told  us  that  the  World  War 
has  completed  its  ruin.  Never  again  can  it  pretend  to  be 
what  it  was.  Its  pretensions  have  been  unveiled;  its  hypocri- 
sies have  been  exposed.  Other  organizations  have  taken  its 
place.  The  Red  Cross  has  usurped  its  function.  But  do  not 
forget  that  there  is  still  the  inner  shrine  where  the  wor- 
shipper meets  his  Lord: 

"There  is  a  spot  where  spirits  blend, 

-  Where  friend  holds  fellowship  with  friend ; 

Though  sundered  far,  by  faith  they  meet 

About  the  common  mercy-seat." 

Nothing  has  touched  that;  nothing  can  touch  that.  Think 
of  the  soldier  who  wrote  his  mother  to  remember  him  at  Com- 
munion on  Easter  Day,  and  then  went  out  to  die.  "And 
there  was  given  to  me  a  rod."  The  inner  shrine  has  remained 
inviolable. 

4.  Inviolable  also  are  the  souls  of  men.  The  outer  court 
is  the  body.  Disease  and  violence  have  destroyed  it.  What 
unspeakable  things  have  been  done  to  men's  bodies!  They 
have  been  torn,  mangled,  starved,  shot,  blown  to  atoms, 
strangled.  But  the  soul!  Bring  out  the  measuring-rod.  "He 
that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place,  ...  no  harm  can  come 
nigh  that  dwelling."     The  soul  is  inviolable. 

"Souls   of  the  Righteous   in  the  hand  of   God, 
Nor  hurt,  nor  torment  cometh  them   anigh; 
0   happy,   happy  immortality, 
Souls  of  the  Righteous  in  the  hand  of  God. 


108  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

"Souls  of  the  Righteous  in  the  hand  of  God, 
To  eyes  of  men  unwise,  they  seem  to  die; 
They  are  at  peace,  0  fairest  liberty, 
Souls  of  the  Righteous  in  the  hand  of  God. 

"On   earth   as  children,   chastened   by  Love's  rod, 
As  gold  in  furnace  tried,   so  now  on  high, 
They  shine  like  stars,  a  golden  galaxy, 
Souls  of  the  righteous  in  the  hand  of  God." 

Such  is  the  immortal  Social  Hope  of  the  vision  of  the 
inner    shrine. 

A  similar  truth  is  contained  in  the  second  vision  of  the 
indestructible  witnesses.  Three  great  characters  in  the  Old 
Testament  were  believed  never  to  have  died,  Enoch  (Gen. 
5:24),  Moses  (Deut.  34:5),  and  Elijah  (II  Kings  2:11). 
Hence  arose  the  idea  that  they  could  return  at  any  time 
(Deut.  18:18;  Zech.  4:12;  Mai.  4:5,  6;  Matt.  17:3).  Accord- 
ing to  early  Christian  apocalypses,  they  were  to  reappear 
for  the  purpose  of  opposing  and  conquering  the  Anti-Christ, 
and  to  deliver  Christians  from  his  wiles.  So  in  this  pas- 
sage, the  persecuted  Christians  are  encouraged  by  the  example 
of  these  typical  witnesses  of  the  Jewish  tradition  (the  num- 
ber is  reduced  from  three  to  two)  who  in  miraculous  manner 
are  preserved  from  destruction  during  the  time  of  their 
ministry.  After  their  witness  has  been  given,  they  are  to 
be  destroyed  and  lie  unburied  while  the  "men  of  the  nations" 
rub  their  hands  and  congratulate  themselves  that  they  are 
dead.  Then  God  will  bring  them  to  life  to  the  terror  of  their 
enemies,  before  whose  eyes  they  will  ascend  to  heaven. 

The  plain  lesson  to  be  conveyed  to  the  persecuted  Chris- 
tians to  whom  the  Book  of  Revelation  was  written,  is  this: 
Rome  may  threaten  you  with  destruction,  but  you  can  never 
die  until  your  testimony  is  in.  Then  you  may  indeed  be 
killed.  But,  while  your  enemies  may  have  power  over  your 
bodies,  they  can  never  destroy  your  souls.     You,  yourselves, 


THE  SECOND  INTEKLUDE  109 

are  in  reality  indestructible,  and  at  the  resurrection  day  your 
enemies  will  be  confounded  at  seeing  you  rise  to  life  im- 
mortal. For  a  beautiful  elaboration  of  this  idea  the  reader 
is  referred  to  the  apocryphal  book,  the  Wisdom  of  Solomon, 
chapter  5  :l-5. 

This  teaching  of  the  indestructibility  of  the  witnesses  of 
God  has  also  immense  social  value  for  our  own  time  and  for 
all  time.  Let  a  man  witness  for  God,  and  his  witness  cannot 
be  destroyed.  You  may  destroy  his  arguments,  but  you  can- 
not destroy  him.  You  may  flout  his  reasoning,  but  you  can- 
not do  away  with  the  man  himself.  That  life  is  an  un- 
answerable argument.  The  prophets  and  the  apostles  were 
killed;  the  truth  which  they  enshrined  and  illustrated  has  lived 
victoriously.  John  Brown's  body  may  lie  mouldering  in  the 
dust,  but  not  the  idea  for  which  he  stood.  On  John  Wesley's 
tomb  in  the  Abbey  stand  the  words:  "God  buries  his  work- 
men, but  carries  on  his  work."  The  words  of  Arthur  J. 
Clough  are  eternally  true:  "Though  we  perish,  truth  is  so." 
George  Eliot  may  not  have  spoken  the  whole  truth  about 
immortality  in  her  "Choir  Invisible,"  but  she  gave  unforget- 
able  expression  to  a  part  of  it.  It  is  possible  to  "make  un- 
dying music  in  the  world." 

Akin  to  the  social  value  of  this  idea  is  the  thought  that 
each  man  is  immortal  till  his  work  is  done.  Until  they  have 
finished  their  testimony,  God's  witnesses  shall  live.  When- 
ever, that  is,  a  true  servant  of  God  dies,  we  may  have  the 
assurance  that  the  peculiar  contribution  which  it  was  his 
moral  destiny  to  make,  has  been  made.  Jesus  gave  con- 
firmation to  this  idea  in  his  oft-repeated  assertion  that  his 
enemies  could  not  take  Him  because  his  "hour  was  not  yet 
come."  When  at  last  they  did  crucify  Him,  He  could  say, 
"It  is  finished."  There  is  no  promise  here  for  any  except  his 
witnesses.  But  for  them  and  for  those  who  love  them,  it  is 
an  assurance  of  immense  worth.  It  may  not  always  be  easy 
or  even  possible  to  see  in  the  case  of  many  who  die  when  they 
are  young,  what  that  contribution  is,  or  why,  had  they  lived, 


110  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

it  would  not  have  been  completed  or  perfected.  But  it  is 
our  faith  to  hold  that  no  life  can  be  touched  until  its  witness 
is  complete.  Such  consolation  belongs  to  all  those  whose  dear 
dead  lie  by  the  thousands  on  the  battlefields  of  Flanders  and 
of  France. 

Contrast  also  the  ultimate  salvation  and  glory  of  those  who 
have  borne  their  witness  with  the  dismay  of  those  who  have 
tried  to  put  them  to  death.  "And  their  enemies  beheld  them." 
Think  of  what  that  means.  Think  of  the  multitudes  all 
through  Christian  history  who  have  died  insignificant,  lonely 
deaths,  unnoticed,  forgotten,  neglected.  Even  their  names 
have  not  come  down  to  us.  Think  of  the  soldiers  who  died 
overseas  by  the  thousands,  whose  identification  tags  were 
lost,  their  bodies  thrown  indiscriminately  together  in  a  con- 
fused, indistinguishable  mass;  not  even  a  grave  for  each,  to 
say  nothing  of  anything  to  mark  such  a  grave.  And  then 
I  read: 

I  heard  a  great  voice  from  Heaven,  saying,  Come  up 
hither;  and  they  went  up  to  Heaven  on  a  cloud  and  their 
enemies  beheld  them,  and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  Heaven. 

This  is  the  spiritual  hope  of  each  faithful  life.  No  matter 
how  lonely  or  neglected  it  may  seem  to  be,  it  will  have  its 
resurrection  day,  it  will  be  gathered  up  into  glory,  and  the 
foes  it  so  bravely  faced,  who  may  seem  to  have  overcome  it, 
will  know  its  triumph  and  give  glory  to  the  God  of  Heaven. 

Chapter  10:1.  Then  I  was  on  the  earth  again  and  saw 
an  angel  come  down  from  heaven.  His  garment  was  a  cloud, 
on  his  head  was  a  rainbow,  his  face  shone  as  the  sun,  and 
his  feet  as  columns  of  fire.  2.  In  his  hand  was  a  small  open 
scroll.  In  size  he  was  so  immense  that  he  stood  over  land 
and  sea,  3.  and  his  voice  was  like  the  roar  of  a  lion.  When 
he  spoke,  it  thundered  seven  times.  4.  I  was  about  to 
write  what  these  thunder-voices  said  when  I  was  forbidden 
to  do  so.  5.  And  the  great  angel  solemnly  lifted  his  hand 
to  heaven  and  took  oath  that  there  should  be  no  more 
delay,  7.  but  that  when  the  seventh  angel  sounded  his 
trumpet,  the  secret  purposes  of  God  would  be  fulfilled.  8. 
And  the  voice  from  heaven  commanded  me  to  eat  the  scroll 


THE  SECOND  INTEELUDE  111 

which  the  great  angel  held  in  his  hand.  9,  11.  I  did  so, 
and  found,  as  I  had  been  told,  that  it  was  at  first  sweet  to 
receive  the  very  words  of  God,  but  that  the  more  they 
were  pondered,  the  more  bitter  was  the  mission  to  pro- 
nounce the  woes  and  denunciations  which  they  contained 
in  the  ears  of  many  peoples. 

Chapter  11:1,  2.  And  in  a  vision  I  was  told  to  measure 
the  sanctuary  and  to  count  the  worshippers  that  were  in 
it,  and  to  see  how  safe  and  complete  they  were  whatever 
might  happen  to  the  outer  confines  of  the  Temple.  3-6. 
And  I  was  told  that  power  of  life  would  be  given  to  God's 
witnesses  who  in  sombre  raiment  would  prophesy  for  a  time 
and  walk  unharmed  through  all  perils  and  perform  all  mira- 
cles until  their  ministry  was  fulfilled.  7,  8.  Then  they  will 
be  killed  by  the  satanic  power  that  will  make  war  against 
them,  9.  and  for  a  time  they  will  lie  unburied  10.  while  their 
enemies  mock  them  and  congratulate  one  another.  11,  12. 
Then  God  will  give  them  a  glorious  resurrection  to  the  con- 
sternation of  their  enemies,  13.  and  an  earthquake  will 
cause  widespread  destruction.  In  terror,  the  rest  will  give 
glory  to  God.  14.  The  second  series  of  judgments  is  now 
over.     The  third  is  about  to  begin. 

Notes  v.  1  For  the  description  of  the  strong  angel,  compare 
that  of  Christ  (1:15-16)  and  see  also  Ps.  104:3;  Ezek.  1:28; 
Matt.  17:2.  No  special  significance  is  to  be  sought  in  these 
attributes.  The  general  idea  of  heavenly  glory  is  conveyed 
by  them.  v.  2  The  scroll.  The  words  little  and  open  (Ezek. 
2 :10)  to  distinguish  it  from  the  great  roll  of  chapter  5,  which 
was  closed,  v.  3  For  the  figure  of  the  lion,  cf.  Amos  3:8; 
Hos.  11 :10.  For  the  seven  thunders,  see  Ps.  29 :3-9.  Some 
popular  conception  of  thunder  unknown  to  us  underlies  this 
obscure  reference.1  The  number  seven  is  doubtless  used  to 
express  completion.  Their  utterance  contains  the  final  judg- 
ments which  the  author  cannot  describe  (Dan.  12:4-9)  until  he 
has  been  recommissioned.  It  is  useless  to  press  too  closely  the 
relation  to  each  other  of  the  message  of  the  angel,  the  thunders 
and  the  little  book.  One  melts  into  the  other  and  the  general 
purpose  is  plain,  w.  5-6  For  this  form  of  oath,  see  Dan. 
12:7;  Gen.  14:22;  Deut.  32:40.  The  word  time  signifies  delay. 
(See  Matt.  24:48;  Heb.  10:37.)     v.  7  The  word  mystery  is 

1Beckwith,   pp.   574,   577-8. 


112  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

commonly  used  in  the  New  Testament  to  describe  the  purpose 
of  God,  hidden  for  a  time  but  eventually  to  be  made  manifest, 
of  salvation  in  Christ,  (cf.  Rom.  16:25;  I  Cor.  2:7.)  In 
Eph.  3 :4ff  it  is  used  of  the  incorporation  of  the  Gentiles  into 
the  people  of  God.  Here  it  is  used  inclusively  of  the  con- 
summation of  the  kingdom,  v.  8ff  For  the  Old  Testament 
original  of  the  idea  of  eating  a  message,  cf.  Ezek.  2:8-3:3.  (cf. 
Jer.  15:16,  20:9;  Job.  23:12.)  The  symbolism  of  eating  is 
the  entire  appropriation  and  personal  assimilation  of  the 
word  of  God.  The  idea  that  the  taste  of  the  book  was  bitter 
as  well  as  sweet  is  a  characteristic  addition  of  the  author 
of  Revelation,  and  gives  warning  of  the  woes  which  are  to 
come.  Also  it  is  spiritually  very  suggestive.1  "The  actual 
living  taste  of  a  Divine  communication  is  sweet,"  but  when 
we  come  to  realize  how  the  refusal  of  that  invitation  to  men 
means  their  misery,  the  utterance  of  it  is  indeed  bitter;  it  is 
sweet  to  receive  the  message  of  God's  love,  but  to  translate  it 
in  terms  of  every-day  living  involves  bitter  struggle. 

Chapter  11:1-13.  w.  1,  2  The  original  tradition  upon 
which  this  prophecy  is  based  is  unknown  to  us.  The  idea  of 
measuring  is,  of  course,  familiar  from  Ezek.  chapters  40-43. 
Doubtless  there  was  a  Jewish  apocalypse,  written  in  view  of 
some  threatened  conquest  of  Jerusalem  (perhaps  before  70 
A.D.),  and  predicting,  in  accordance  with  the  teaching  of 
the  prophets,  that  a  remnant  would  be  saved.  This  is  used  by 
our  author  not  (as  some  commentators  hold)  to  predict  the 
ultimate  repentance  of  Israel  (Rom.  chapters  9-11),  but  to 
assert  by  analogy  the  preservation  of  the  Christian  community. 
The  word  altar  here  stands  for  the  altar  of  burnt-offering. 
(See  Ezek.  43:13ff.)  The  idea  of  measuring  the  worshippers 
presents  no  difficulty  since  the  measurement  implies  preserva- 
tion, (cf.  II  Kings  18:22;  Isa.  36:7;  II  Chron.  32:12.)  For 
the  outer  court,  cf.  Ezek.  10:5.  Forty-two  months,  or  1260 
days,  three  and  a  half  years,  is  the  conventional  apocalyptic 
period  of  the  domination  of  evil  before  the  end  (cf.  Dan.  7:25, 

1  See  Deane,   p.    114. 


THE  SECOND  INTEELUDE  113 

12:7  where  "time"  and  "year"  are  synonymous).  In  all  pas- 
sages both  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  New  where  these 
figures  are  used,  this  symbolic  meaning  is  to  be  given  them. 
Other  symbolic  numbers  are  four,  seven,  twelve,  forty,  seventy, 
familiar  to  all  Bible  readers,  w.  3-13  The  original  tradition 
underlying  this  prophecy  has  already  been  suggested.  (The 
reader  will  refer  to  Gen.  5:24;  Deut.  18:15,  18,  34:6;  II 
Kings  2:11;  Zech.  4:2ff;  Mai.  4:5-6;  Mark  6:15,  8:28, 
9:11-13;  Matt.  11:14;  John  1:21,  25,  7:40.)  No  names  are 
here  given  to  the  witnesses.  Our  author  is  therefore  not 
thinking  of  Moses  or  Elijah  specifically,  but  of  all  who  per- 
form the  functions  of  martyr-witnesses  to  the  truth  (cf.  Matt. 
17:10-13;  Luke  1:17),  and  thus  of  the  Christian  martyrs  to 
whom  the  book  is  addressed,  and  so  of  all  Christian  witness- 
bearers.  Doubtless,  as  in  the  case  of  vv.  1,  2,  an  earlier 
apocalypse  underlies  this  passage  in  which  the  Old  Testament 
witnesses  are  to  expose  the  errors  of  Anti-Christ  and  to 
deliver  men  from  his  power.  Why  Enoch  seems  to  be  omitted 
here  we  do  not  know  unless  by  limiting  the  witnesses  to  Moses 
and  Elijah  as  Law  and  Prophet,  the  complete  testimony  of 
the  true  faith  is  depicted,  v.  3  For  the  time  indication  here, 
see  above,  v.  4  Standing  before  the  Lord,  the  true  position 
of  every  prophet  of  God.  w.  5,  6  (cf.  II  Kings  1 :10;  I  Kings 
17:1,  18:1;  Luke  4:25;  Jas.  5:17;  Ex.  7:20).  v  7  The  Beast. 
The  use  of  the  word  "beast"  in  the  Book  of  Revelation  may 
be  summarized  as  follows:  (1)  In  chapters  4  and  5,  the  cor- 
rect reading  is  "living  creatures"  as  in  the  Revised  Version, 
and  the  word  there  has  no  connection  with  its  meaning  here 
and  in  later  portions  of  the  book.  (2)  All  through  ancient 
mythologies  and  Hebrew  folklore,  there  ran  the  tradition  of  a 
monster,  opposing  himself  to  the  ruler  of  the  universe,  and 
symbolizing  in  this  opposition  the  eternal  conflict  between 
good  and  evil.  (3)  The  word  is  used  in  this  sense  in  Dan.  7, 
and  is  the  prototype  of  our  author's  use  of  the  word,  (4)  Our 
author  uses  the  word  in  three  distinct  senses  (a)  of  Satan  as 
the  personification  of  evil,   as  in  chapter  13;    (b)    of  Anti- 


114  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Christ  as  the  embodiment  of  Satanic  opposition  in  human 
form  to  Christianity.  This  figure  of  Anti-Christ  is  contempo- 
rary with  the  earliest  years  of  the  Christian  era,  owes  its 
origin  to  Jewish  demonology,  and  appears  often  in  New  Testa- 
ment writings  (cf.  I  John  2:18,  II  John  7;  II  Thess.  2:3).  It 
is  in  the  sense  of  Anti-Christ  that  the  word  is  used  in  this 
chapter  of  Revelation,  (c)  Of  the  Roman  emperor  as  the 
agent  of  Satan,  as  in  chapters  13  and  17.  v.  8  The  denial 
of  burial  was  felt  by  the  ancients  to  be  the  final  insult  (cf.  I 
Kings  21:24;  Jer.  8:lff,  14:16).  The  term  "great  city"  which 
here  certainly  means  Jerusalem,  elsewhere  in  Revelation  means 
Rome.  Jerusalem  is  frequently  referred  to  as  Sodom,  but 
nowhere  else  as  Egypt,  vv.  11,  12  (Cf.  Ezek.  37:10;  II  Kings 
13:21,2:11.) 


w 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  DRAGON   AND    THE   BEAST 

Bevelation,  Chapters  11:15-19;  12,  13 

I.  The  Dragon 

E  have  now  arrived  at  one  of  the  passages  in  the  Book 
of  Revelation  most  difficult  to  understand,  whether  in 
its  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  book  or  with  respect  to  its  own 
contents.  Only  a  very  careful  mastering  of  the  main  outlines 
of  the  message,  and  a  close  examination  of  the  way  the  mind 
of  the  author  works,  will  enable  the  reader  to  understand  either 
its  place  or  its  meaning.  In  the  main,  we  find  that  the  con- 
tents of  the  Book  of  Revelation  fall  into  three  sections.  Of 
these  the  first,  the  study  of  which  we  have  now  completed, 
contains  the  introduction,  and  the  chief  judgments  of  God 
upon  a  wicked  world  (chapters  1-11) ;  the  second,  to  which 
we  have  now  come,  contains  a  description  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  church,  in  the  grip  of  the  powers  of  evil  (chapters  12-19) ; 
and  the  third  which  lies  beyond  describes  the  final  victory  of 
Christ  and  his  followers   (chapters  20-22). 

We  might  have  been  led  to  expect  that  with  the  sounding 
of  the  seventh  trumpet,  after  the  second  interlude,  the  final 
judgment  would  fall  upon  the  world,  and  the  trial  of  Chris- 
tians would  end  and  their  victory  would  be  assured.  But 
evil  is  not  so  soon  to  be  vanquished,  and  victory  is  not  so 
easily  to  be  won.  Perhaps  nothing  in  the  whole  book  is  so 
wonderful  as  the  full  justice  which  is  done  to  the  inveterate 
and  apparently  impregnable  and  invincible  power  of  evil.  It 
is  true  that  Revelation  is  a  book  of  magnificent  optimism,  and 

115 


13  6  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

that  it  ends  in  no  stalemate,  in  no  peace  without  victory,  in 
no  truce.  The  victory  which  it  ultimately  describes  is  absolute, 
not  negotiated  as  between  equals,  but  dictated  by  the  Supreme 
power  of  righteousness  whose  undisputed  and  unique  suprem- 
acy is  acknowledged  by  all.  But  that  victory  is  all  the  more 
impressive  because  it  goes  to  the  roots;  because  the  struggle 
is  carried  to  the  very  last  strongholds  of  evil;  because  it  does 
not  end  until  the  very  principle  and  source  of  evil  has  been 
discovered  and  vanquished.  It  is  this  thoroughgoing  treat- 
ment of  the  problem  of  evil  in  its  relation  to  the  Christian 
Idea  which  makes  this  book  the  final  word  of  Social  Hope. 
We  love  the  book  all  the  more  because  of  its  delayed  promise 
and  postponed  day  of  victory.  If  it  offered  us  anything  less 
than  the  promise  of  the  final  overthrow  of  evil  itself,  it  would 
not  be  what  it  is.  Temporary  victories  are  always  possible 
in  the  sphere  of  history.  Preliminary  battles  are  being  won 
every  day  on  the  field  of  time.  But  the  Book  of  Revelation 
does  not  describe  these.  The  Social  Hope  which  it  offers  is 
not  based  on  them.  Rather  it  takes  us  by  the  hand  and  leads 
us  through  seas  of  blood  and  ages  of  soul-struggle  up  to 
the  very  capital  of  evil  and  has  us  witness  its  capitulation. 
What  we  see  before  this  book  ends,  is  not  the  surrender  of  the 
sword  of  some  temporary  power.  We  behold  the  surrender  of 
Satan  himself,  who  hands  his  sword  over  for  all  time  to  the  all- 
conquering  Christ.  This  is  the  ultimate  truth  which  forms 
the  foundation  of  a  Social  Hope  which  is  eternal. 

Let  the  reader  once  grasp  the  intention  of  the  author  of 
Revelation  to  pass  beyond  the  particular  and  temporary  op- 
position of  the  Roman  Empire  to  the  Christian  cultus  of  the 
first  century  and  to  carry  the  war,  as  it  were,  into  the  very 
heart  of  the  enemy's  country,  and  the  position  and  meaning 
of  the  following  chapters,  which  every  student  of  the  book 
has  found  difficult  and  many  have  accounted  hopeless,  begins 
to  be  clear. 

Introducing  these  chapters,  we  have  first  the  hymn  of  praise 
with  which  the  eleventh  chapter  closes.    Like  the  Greek  chorus 


THE  DEAGON  AND  THE  BEAST        117 

in  a  tragedy  of  Sophocles  or  Euripides,  these  anthems  break 
forth  more  than  once  in  the  Book  of  Revelations  (chapters 
5:13,  14,  19:1-7).  As  the  seventh  angel  sounds,  there  breaks 
forth  first  of  all  this  great  hymn  of  thanksgiving,  and  the 
doors  of  the  Heavenly  Temple  swing  open  for  a  moment,  and 
the  ark  of  safety  is  revealed,  and  there  are  manifestations  in 
heaven  of  the  power  of  God. 

The  sounding  of  the  trumpet,  however,  does  not  result  in 
immediate,  final  judgment.  Instead  there  follows  chapter  12, 
admittedly  one  of  the  most  obscure  passages.  We  note  the 
strange  beginning.  The  author  does  not  even  say  that  he 
saw  this  vision.  Alone  of  all  the  visions  in  the  book  it  begins 
impersonally:  "And  there  was  seen."  Again  we  have  nothing 
in  the  Old  Testament  that  will  help  us,  nor  anywhere  in 
Scripture,  nor  even  in  history.  Efforts  to  find  analogies  in 
Israel's  escape  from  Egypt  or  in  contemporary  historical 
events  have  proved  futile.  But  there  are  two  points  that  may 
be  held  firm.  First,  the  author  is  here  describing  the  original 
and  ultimate  struggle  between  good  and  evil;  and  second,  he 
is  using  for  his  source  materials  which  are  foreign  to  the 
Bible,  and  a  tradition  which  is  wholly  unfamiliar  to  us.  We 
do  not  know  where  he  found  these  strange  stories  of  the 
dragon  and  the  woman  and  the  child,  nor  do  we  know  just 
how  he  meant  them  to  be  interpreted.  It  is  very  probable 
that  this  was  not  wholly  clear  to  his  own  mind.  Imagination, 
and  particularly  apocalyptical  imagination,  moves  in  the  realm 
of  general  ideas  which  gather  in  confused  mass  in  the  mind  of 
the  writer,  and  are  portrayed  with  a  vague  and  perhaps 
despairing  effort  at  verbal  description,  and  are  left  to  be  their 
own  interpreters  of  the  germinal  truth  which  agitates  the  soul 
of  the  writer. 

The  most  plausible  explanation  of  chapter  12  is  this.1     (1) 

Ancient  mythology  has  much  to  say  of  the  aggressive  power  of 

the  Dragon    (Chaos)    against  the  older  and  aboriginal  gods; 

it  tells  us  of  the  birth  of  the  sun-god  (so  in  Greek  mythology, 

1  Porter,  pp.  236-240. 


118  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  BEVELATION 

of  the  birth  of  Apollos  whose  mother  was  persecuted  by  the 
dragon  Pythos) ;  and  of  how  this  infant  sun-god  is  rescued 
by  his  mother's  flight  from  the  assaults  of  the  dragon  which 
he  slays  when  he  is  grown.  (2)  This  bit  of  mythology  was 
made  use  of  by  a  Jewish  tradition  not  found  in  Scripture. 
The  woman  now  becomes  the  true  Israel;  the  dragon  is  Satan; 
the  child  is  the  Messiah.  The  supernatural  description  of  the 
woman  is  retained;  Michael  and  his  angels  are  introduced  as 
conquering  the  dragon  in  heaven  at  the  birth  of  the  Messiah, 
and  the  Messiah  himself  is  represented  as  slaying  the  dragon 
on  earth.  (3)  Finally,  this  Christian  author  adapts  these 
materials  to  his  purpose  which  is  (to  repeat)  to  represent 
Christ  as  the  ultimate  symbol  of  good,  vanquishing  Satan,  the 
ultimate  symbol  of  evil.  Apparently  he  makes  little  change 
in  the  general  order  of  ideas.  In  the  beginning  of  the  chapter, 
the  woman  evidently  stands  for  the  true  Israel  which  produced 
Christ.  At  the  end  of  the  chapter  (v.  17)  she  has  become  the 
church,  whose  children  keep  the  commandments  of  Jesus.  The 
offspring  of  the  woman  are  thus  Christ  and  the  servants  of 
Christ,  and  the  clue  to  the  author's  whole  meaning  is  found 
in  verses  10  and  11,  where  the  victory  of  the  Christian  faith 
is  hymned  over  its  arch-enemy.  This  is  the  ultimate  fact 
which  Michael's  conquest  of  the  dragon  and  the  escape  of  the 
child  are  supposed  to  symbolize. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  try  to  find  a  separate  meaning  in  all  the 
details  of  the  chapter.  The  literalistic  mind  will  make  nothing 
of  it  whatsoever.  The  effort  to  find  in  other  periods  of  history 
than  that  in  which  the  prophet  himself  lived  the  events  to 
which  the  figures  refer,  leads  to  nothing  but  confusion  and 
total  misunderstanding  of  the  underlying  and  spiritual  mean- 
ing of  the  chapter. 

The  chapter  is  obscure  in  its  details  because,  as  has  already 
been  stated,  we  do  not  know  the  original  source  from  which 
the  materials  are  taken.  The  author  has  been  content  to 
leave  the  traditional  material  as  he  found  it;  not  because  its 
meaning  was  always  clear,  perhaps  even  because  its  meaning 


THE  DRAGON  AND  THE  BEAST        119 

was  not  always  clear.     It  served  his  purpose  and  pictorially 
it  was  very  effective. 

It  is  not  difficult,  however,  to  see  that  the  teaching  of  this 
chapter  must  have  been  of  immense  encouragement  to  the 
persecuted  Christians  to  whom  it  was  written.  It  told  them 
that  the  power  that  had  warred  against  them  had  already  been 
overcome  in  heaven;  that  the  intensity  of  its  warfare  upon 
them  was  due  to  the  fact  that  it  realized  this  and  knew  that 
the  time  of  its  earthly  triumph  was  brief;  and  that  they  had 
but  to  endure  for  a  brief  time  in  the  name  of  Christ  and 
victory  would  be  theirs.  The  same  teaching  constitutes  the 
Social  Hope  of  the  Christian  to-day.  The  nature  of  evil  is 
described  in  its  ultimate  terms.  It  is  not  a  temporary  and 
an  historical  fact  out  of  which  mankind  may  be  expected  to 
grow,  from  which  he  may  hope  in  due  time  to  graduate.  The 
Book  of  Revelation  knows  nothing  about  evolutionary 
optimism,  the  easy  persuasion  that  man  will  develop  of  him- 
self into  perfection.  Evil  is  here  portrayed  as  a  power  so 
malignant,  and  so  rooted  in  the  very  constitution  of  the  uni- 
verse that  it  can  be  overthrown  only  by  God  Himself.  That 
ultimate  struggle  is  here  described,  and  its  outcome.  Milton, 
as  we  all  know,  has  made  use  of  this  passage  in  Paradise  Lost, 
and  pictures  how  Satan  and  his  defeated  hosts  were  cast  into 
hell.  Finally,  the  chapter  gives  us  the  picture  of  Christ,  born 
of  woman,  as  the  hope  of  the  world.  Satan  sought  to  destroy 
the  young  child,  but  He  was  caught  away;  and  He  shall  rule 
the  nations,  and  although  his  servants  shall  be  persecuted  by 
Satan  for  a  time,  they  will  ultimately  "overcome  him  by  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb  and  by  the  word  of  their  testimony."  Here 
are  the  truths  of  the  chapter  which  are  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  teaching  of  the  rest  of  the  book  and  constitute  its 
permanent  social  message  to  the  Christians  of  its  time  and  of 
all  time. 

Chapter  12:1.  A  great  marvel  was  seen  in  the  heavens: 
a  woman  clothed  with  the  planets  and  crowned  with  the 
stars.      2.  She    cried    out    in    the    pains    of    child-birth.      3. 


120  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

And  another  portent  appeared,  a  great  warlike  dragon  hav- 
ing the  heads  and  horns  and  crowns  that  signify  power 
and  rulership.  4.  His  tail  swept  away  a  third  of  the  heav- 
enly host  and  flung  chem  to  the  earth  as  he  fell  where  the 
woman  was  about  to  give  birth  to  her  child.  And  he  stood 
ready  to  devour  it.  5.  And  she  brought  forth  a  son  who 
was  destined  to  have  universal  rule,  and  he  was  caught  up 
for  safety  to  the  throne  of  God;  6.  and  the  woman  fled 
to  the  wilderness  where  God  protected  her  during  the  three 
and   a  half  years  of   the   dragon's   remaining  power. 

7,  8,  9.  The  fall  of  the  dragon  was  the  result  of  a  conflict 
in  heaven,  wheie  he  and  his  followers  made  war  on  God.  But 
Michael  and  his  angels  overcame  him  and  threw  him  out 
of  heaven  and  his  angels  with  him.  10.  And  this  victory 
was  celebrated  by  a  great  song  of  praise  because  the  King- 
dom of  God  was  rid  by  the  power  of  Christ  of  this  malignant 
foe  that  had  unceasingly  opposed  the  righteous.  11.  In 
the  end,  those  who  loved  Christ  more  than  their  own  lives, 
overcame  him  by  the  death  of  Christ  and  their  own  sacri- 
fice. 12.  But  heaven's  gain  meant  loss  to  the  earth, 
whose  inhabitants  must  endure  the  concentrated  anger  of 
the  dragon  who  knows  that  his  power  will  not  long  endure. 

13.  For  when  the  dragon  realized  this,  his  fury  against 
the  woman  broke  forth.  14-16.  But  her  escape  to  the 
wilderness  was  aided  supernaturally,  and  the  attacks  of 
the  dragon  were  miraculously  frustrated,  and  she  was  safe 
during  the  time  of  the  dragon's  rule.  17.  He  therefore 
vented  his  anger  upon  her  children,  those  faithful  Chris- 
tians who   must   still  endure  persecution   for   a  time. 

Notes  v.  1  The  woman  She  cannot  be  identified  with  the 
mother  of  our  Lord,  since  she  is  the  mother  of  all  Christians 
(v.  17)  as  well  as  of  the  Messiah.  She  may  have  been  the 
church  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the  original  Jewish  oracle 
which  underlies  this  chapter.  But  our  author  plainly  means 
in  verse  13  and  following,  the  church  of  the  New  Testament. 
It  is  safe,  therefore,  to  have  the  woman  stand  for  "the  be- 
loved community,"  the  "ideal  Zion,"  the  symbol  of  God's 
people  of  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  See 
3:9,  11:19,  15:5,  21:12-14,  where  the  "true  Israel"  embraces 
alike  the  Jewish  and  Christian  church.  (cf.  Isa.  54:1, 
66:7-9;  Gal.  4:26;  II  Esdras  10:7.  Read  Micah  4:9ff.)  For 
Old  Testament  suggestions  of  the  description  of  her  heavenly 
glory,  see  Ps.  104 :2 ;  Song  of  Sol.  6 :10 ;  and  Wisdom  of  Sol. 


THE  DKAGON  AND  THE  BEAST        121 

6:10.  v.  3  Dragon.  (See  Job  7:12;  Ps.  74:14;  89:10;  Isa. 
27:1,  51:9;  Ezek.  32:2;  Amos  9:3.)  It  was  easy  to  identify 
this  monster  with  the  serpent  of  Eden  and  with  the  devil.  The 
number  seven  signifies,  of  course,  completeness,  while  the  ten 
horns  are  taken  from  Dan.  7:7.  The  horn  is  a  common  sym- 
bol of  might,  w.  5,  6  The  child  is,  of  course,  in  the  earlier 
verses,  the  Messiah  of  Jewish  tradition.  In  the  author's 
Christian  use  of  that  tradition,  he  is  Christ.  The  reader 
will  not  look  too  closely  in  these  verses  for  exact  refer- 
ences to  his  earthly  life  (as  for  example  the  presecu- 
tion  of  Herod  (v.  13),  the  escape  into  Egypt  (v.  14), 
or  the  ascension  (v.  5).  It  is  at  least  open  to  question 
whether  the  author  had  these  events  in  mind.  The 
whole  description  of  the  Messiah-child  is  not  in  the  sphere 
of  the  temporal  and  the  historical,  but  in  the  realm  of 
the  spiritual  and  eternal^  v.  6  The  time-indication  here 
as  in  v.  14  is  the  stereotyped  apocalyptical  period  for 
the  domination  of  evil.  The  central  idea  of  this  verse  is  that 
Satan  fails  in  his  attempt  to  destroy  the  Messiah.  W.  7-9 
Michael  in  the  later  Old  Testament  is  the  patron  angel  of 
Israel.  (Dan.  10:21,  12:1.)  Serpent  It  is  an  interesting 
illustration  of  the  essential  unity  of  the  Bible  that  the  serpent 
of  Eden  should  reappear  in  the  last  book  of  the  g^ible,  to  be 
overcome  by  the  child  "born  of  woman."  There  is  no  con- 
tradiction between  the  Jewish  conception  of  the  expulsion  of 
the  dragon  from  heaven  and  the  idea  of  the  triumph  of  the 
Christian  over  him  on  earth,  w.  15-17  This  section  follows 
logically  after  vv.  1-6.  It  will  not  do  to  base  these  verses  on 
the  story  of  Israel's  escape  from  Egypt  (cf.  Ex.  19:4),  for 
the  details  are  very  dissimilar,  and  the  figure  of  eagles'  wings 
was  a  common  and  frequent  Old  Testament  simile  (cf.  Deut. 
32:11;  Isa.  40:31;  Jer.  48:9).  The  author  has  taken  his 
imagery  not  from  the  Old  Testament  but  from  some  familiar 
legend.  For  the  time  three  and  a  half  years  (v.  14),  cf. 
above  v.  6.    That  the  author  had  the  Genesis  story  consciously 


122  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

in  mind  seems  apparent  from  the  expression  "the  rest  of  her 
seed"   (v.  17)    (cf.  Gen.  3:15). 

II.  The  Beast 
Chapter  13 

In  approaching  this  chapter,  also,  we  bear  in  mind  the  fact 
that  the  present  purpose  of  the  author  is  to  describe  the 
church  as  for  the  moment  in  the  clutch  of  evil.  It  is  a  full 
statement  of  the  resources  of  evil  as  they  are  brought  to  bear 
upon  the  Christian  community.  In  chapter  12,  that  power  of 
evil  is  traced  back  to  its  ultimate  source;  but  the  assurance 
is  given  that  it  has  already  been  overcome  in  heaven,  and 
can  and  will  be  overcome  on  earth  if  the  servants  of  Christ 
will  but  hold  fast  for  a  time.  In  the  conviction  that  "in  the 
world  ye  shall  have  tribulation;  but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have 
overcome  the  world,"  the  author  goes  on  in  this  chapter  to 
describe  how  the  intensified  fury  of  the  dragon  will  now  fall 
upon  the  church  and  the  witnesses  of  Jesus.  This  description 
is  given  in  language  so  bizarre  and  fantastic  as  to  baffle  even 
the  reader  who  has  begun  to  be  acclimated  to  the  strange 
imagery  of  apocalyptic  writing.  His  imagination  is  staggered 
by  all  this  fantastic  and  up-heaped  conglomeration  of  beasts 
that  are  killed  and  come  to  life,  and  of  cryptic  marks  and 
numbers.  He  finds  it  difficult  to  take  it  all  seriously,  and 
is  haunted  by  the  suspicion  that  interpreters  who  try  to  find 
a  key  to  all  these  puzzles  are  deceiving  themselves  as  well  as 
their  readers.  Without  doubt  patience  is  needed  by  the 
modern  mind  which  never  thinks  in  these  forms  and  has 
habitually  neglected  all  this  kind  of  writing  in  Scripture 
itself.  If  the  reader,  however,  determined  to  follow  the  story 
of  this  book  throughout,  and  encouraged  by  such  enlighten- 
ment as  has  already  come  to  him,  will  carefully  study  this 
chapter,  it  also  will  be  made  to  yield  its  secret  which  will 
be  found  to  be  no  less  precious  than  that  which  has  gone 
before. 


THE  DEAGON  AND  THE  BEAST         123 

In  general,  then,  the  reader  will  understand  that  there  is 
contained  in  this  chapter  the  story  of  how  the  dragon,  Satan, 
the  power  of  evil  on  earth,  sets  about  to  persecute  the  children 
of  God,  the  servants  of  Christ,  the  "seed  of  the  woman."  He 
makes  the  Roman  Empire  his  agent  for  this  persecution.  The 
beasts  of  this  chapter  represent  the  Roman  Empire  in  full 
action  against  the  church,  and  thus  stand  for  forces,  per- 
sonalities, institutions  which  were  most  real  to  the  first  readers 
of  this  book,  however  vague  and  unfamiliar  they  may  appear 
to  us.  Here  the  imperial  edict  to  worship  the  Emperor  is 
set  forth  in  all  its  horror. 

In  the  next  place,  the  reader  must  remember  what  has 
been  repeatedly  urged,  that  this  kind  of  language  was  very 
familiar  to  the  writer  of  this  book  and  to  those  to  whom  it 
was  first  addressed.  It  is  the  conventional  language  of  all 
apocalypses.  Turn,  for  example,  to  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Daniel  and  read  it  carefully,  and  then  there  will  be  little 
trouble  with  the  main  outlines  of  the  chapter  under  discussion. 
In  Daniel,  as  in  Revelation,  we  are  introduced  to  four  beasts 
which  come  up  from  the  sea.  The  first  was  like  a  lion,  the 
second  like  a  bear,  the  third  like  a  leopard,  and  the  fourth 
and  the  most  dreadful  of  all  was  different  from  the  rest  and 
had  teeth  of  iron,  and  in  his  fury  devoured  and  stamped  and 
broke  in  pieces  all  that  opposed  him.  We  read  further  (v. 
15)  that  Daniel  was  perplexed  and  grieved  in  mind,  just  as 
we  are,  at  these  strange  and  savage  beasts,  and  asked  for  an 
explanation  of  them,  and  the  explanation  was  given. 

These  great  beasts  ...  are  four  kings  which  shall 
arise  out  of  the  earth  (v.  17).  And  the  fourth  beast  shall 
be  the  fourth  kingdom  which  shall  devour  the  earth  (v.  23). 
But  the  judgment  shall  sit,  and  they  (the  saints)  shall 
take  away  his  dominion  to  consume  and  destroy  it  unto 
the   end. 

Ko  one,  that  is,  who  is  familiar  with  the  symbolism  of  the 
seventh  chapter  of  Daniel  can  have  any  difficulty  with  the 
essential   meaning   of   the   thirteenth   chapter    of   Revelation. 


124  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Just  as  the  beasts  of  that  chapter  stood  for  the  kingdoms  of 
Babylon,  of  the  Medes,  of  the  Persians  and  of  Syria,  so  the 
beast  of  this  chapter  in  Revelation  (incidentally  alluded  to 
in  11:7)  stands  for  the  Roman  Empire  in  its  different  mani- 
festations. The  number  of  the  beasts  is  reduced  from  four  to 
two,  and  the  only  difficulties  are  those  of  detail  and  of  the 
understanding  not  of  the  main  outlines  of  the  chapter,  but  of 
some  of  its  special  features. 

A  few  of  these  may  well  receive  attention  at  this  point. 
Assuming  that  the  beast  which  the  author  sees  rising  out  of 
the  sea  is  Rome,  what  is  meant  by  the  seven  heads  and  ten 
horns  and  ten  crowns'?  Fortunately,  we  are  not  left  in  doubt 
as  to  how  these  features  are  to  be  interpreted.  If  the  reader 
will  turn  to  chapter  17,  vv.  7ff.,  he  will  find  the  explanation 
given  there.  The  seven  heads  are  expressly  declared  to  be 
the  seven  hills  of  Rome,  as  typifying  seven  emperors;  the 
horns  are  the  ten  emperors  of  Rome  (whether  we  count 
from  Julius  Cassar  to  Nero,  or  from  Augustus  to  Vespasian) ; 
and  the  ten  crowns  are  the  symbol  of  their  authority.  It  ap- 
pears certain,  therefore,  that  the  beast  symbolizes  the  Roman 
Emperors  as  Satan's  agents  in  his  war  against  the  saints. 
Moreover,  seven  of  these  emperors  are  said  (17:10)  to  have 
the  "name  of  blasphemy,"  i.  e.  were  worshipped  as  God 
(omitting,  that  is,  Galba  and  Otto  and  Vitellius.  See  later 
in  Notes,  chapter  17). 

But  what  is  meant  by  the  detail  in  v.  3,  where  we  are  told 
that  one  of  the  heads  was  wounded  to  death,  and  his  wound 
was  healed  and  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast?1  The 
most  plausible  and  generally  accepted  explanation  is  that  this 
verse  refers  to  the  legend  about  the  death  of  Nero.  He  died 
by  suicide,  alone,  in  his  villa  in  an  obscure  place.  These  cir- 
cumstances made  possible  the  circulation  of  rumors  that  he 
was  not  really  dead  at  all,  but  had  fled,  and  that  some  day 
he  would  return  to  wreak  fearful  vengeance  upon  Rome. 
These  rumors  spread  with  rapidity  and  persisted  long  after. 

1  Beckwith,  pp.   400ff. 


THE  DEAGON  AND  THE  BEAST         125 

Decrees  appeared  in  his  name  and  imposters  arose  claiming 
to  be  Nero.  Thus  he  came  to  be  a  mysterious  and  super- 
natural personality  and  in  later  Christian  tradition  was  identi- 
fied with  Anti-Christ.  Doubtless  this  idea  was  in  existence  at 
the  time  the  Book  of  Revelation  was  written,  and  allusion  is 
made  to  it  in  this  verse. 

A  third  detail,  the  most  difficult  of  all  found  in  this  chapter, 
calls  for  special  comment.     It  is  contained  in  v.  18. 

Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count  the  number  of 
the  beast;  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man:  and  his  number  is 
six  hundred,  three  score  and  six. 

For  a  full  discussion  of  this  passage  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  authorities.1  In  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  languages  the 
letters  of  the  alphabet  serve  also  as  numbers,  so  that  every 
name  or  even  word  has  a  numerical  value.  What  the  author 
says  in  this  verse,  therefore,  is  that  the  letters  which  make 
up  the  name  of  the  beast  yield  the  number  six  hundred  and 
sixty-six.  The  only  question  is,  therefore,  what  is  the  signifi- 
cation of  this  exact  number,  and  to  what  person  in  contempo- 
rary histoiy  does  it  refer?  Neither  of  these  questions  can  be 
answered  with  exactness.  With  respect  to  the  first,  the  most 
plausible  explanation  is  that  as  the  perfect  number  would  be 
seven  hundred  and  seventy-seven,  this  number  which  falls 
short  of  it  denotes  imperfection,  or  evil,  just  as  eight  hundred 
and  eighty-eight,  which  the  name  of  Jesus  can  be  made  to 
signify,  surpasses  it  and  denotes  divine  perfection.  With 
respect  to  the  second  question,  all  sorts  of  efforts  to  find 
the  name  contained  in  the  cryptogram  have  been  made  and 
will  doubtless  continue  to  be  made.  All  of  these  are  per- 
missible so  long  as  one  limits  one's  inquiry  to  contemporary 
Roman  history.  When,  however,  one  strays  out  into  the  broad 
field  of  human  history  and  tries  to  make  out  that  Mohammed 
or  Luther  or  Napoleon  is  meant,  one  is  departing  from  what 
we  have  seen  to  be  the  intention  and  purpose  of  Revelation. 
1  See   Beckwith,    pp.    403ff ;    Porter,   pp.    246ff. 


126  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

The  consensus  of  the  best  opinion  is  that  Nero  Csesar  is 
meant.  Other  explanations  are  that  the  Latin  Empire  is 
meant,  or  chaos,  or  a  combination  of  chaos  and  Nero.  "What- 
ever we  may  now  guess  as  to  the  number,  we  may  rest  assured 
that  it  is  the  past  and  not  the  future  that  hides  the  mystery 
of  its  meaning." 

Two  other  features  of  this  chapter  may  be  discussed  here. 
As  we  have  seen,  there  are  two  beasts.  How  are  these  to  be 
related  to  each  other,  understanding  that  the  beast  of  verse  1 
symbolizes  the  Roman  Empire?  What  is  the  meaning  of 
verse  11,  "And  I  beheld  another  beast"?  Here  there  are  two 
possible  explanations.  One  has  been  made  by  Ramsay.1 
Since  in  v.  12  it  is  expressly  stated  that  the  function  of  the 
second  beast  is  to  execute  the  authority  of  the  first  beast,  he 
is  of  the  opinion  that  the  second  beast  typifies  the  civil  and 
religious  administration  of  the  Roman  Empire  to  which  was 
entrusted  the  duty  of  carrying  into  effect  the  imperial  decree 
of  emperor-worship.  On  the  whole,  however,  scholars  are  in- 
clined to  accept  the  second  explanation.2  Since  the  second 
beast  is  specially  designated  as  a  false  prophet  (v.  14),  it  is 
felt  that  he  stands  for  the  pagan  priesthood,  or  "the  special 
Roman  functionaries  charged  with  the  maintenance  and  ex- 
tension of  emperor-worship  throughout  the  Empire." 

Finally,  what  shall  we  make  of  the  mark  (v.  16)  which  all 
must  receive  in  order  to  purchase  or  to  sell  food  ? 3  This  may 
mean  that  a  stamp  which  Christians  would  consider  to  be 
idolatrous  must  be  affixed  to  papers  licensing  buyers  or  sellers. 
Since  this  would  be  a  tacit  acknowledgment  of  emperor-wor- 
ship, Asian  Christians  would  be  ruined  financially  by  the  in- 
fliction of  this  boycott  upon  traders  who  had  not  proved  their 
loyalty  to  the  emperor.  It  is  possible,  however,  that  the  ex- 
pression refers  to  a  future  or  imagined  branding  of  the 
emperor's  name  on  the  foreheads  of  those  who  refused  to 
bow  the  knee  to  the  emperor's  statue.     In  this  case  how  elo- 

1  Seven   Cities,    p.   97. 

2  See   Beckwith,   p.   409. 

3  See  Ramsay,  op.   cit.,   p.  105ff. 


THE  DEAGON  AND  THE  BEAST        127 

quent  becomes  the  word  of  promise  more  than  once  uttered 
in  this  book,  "I  will  write  upon  him  my  new  name"  (cf.  17:5, 
19:12,  22:4). 

Truly,  "here  is  the  patience  and  faith  of  the  saints";  here 
is  the  situation  which  calls  for  endurance  and  fidelity.  We 
have  described  every  form  of  persecution  which  can  be 
brought  to  bear:  violence,  deceit,  overmastering  power,  the 
relentless  discovery  of  all  who  refuse  to  submit,  starvation, 
and  obloquy.  The  chapter  will  stand  for  all  ages  as  the  sum- 
mary of  all  possible  affliction.  But  in  the  center  of  it  there 
stands  always  the  shining  hope.  All  of  this  evil  is  marked 
for  destruction.  Its  triumph  is  brief.  There  is  the  Book 
of  Life  of  the  slain  Lamb  in  which  the  names  of  God's  fol- 
lowers are  eternally  inscribed.  At  this  point  we  must  stand, 
we  must  endure,  we  must  be  faithful.  However  powerless 
for  the  moment  the  cause  of  Christ  may  seem  to  be,  in  the 
end  it  shall  prevail.  If  we  were  but  able  to  take  into  our 
souls  a  tithe  of  the  meaning  of  this  chapter,  it  would  be  to 
us  like  iron  in  the  blood.  "Would  that  we  could  read  this 
chapter  with  imagination  vivid  enough  to  enable  us  to  do 
justice  to  the  courage  of  those  Christians  in  Asia!  It  would 
make  us  ashamed  of  our  feebleness  and  cowardice  where  the 
cause  of  Christ  is  concerned.  It  is  a  summons  to  earnestness, 
to  endurance,  to  faith.  And  now,  as  then,  it  contains  the 
promise  of  ultimate  victory."  1 

Chapter  13:1.  Again,  I  stood  on  the  seashore  and  I  saw 
a  huge  beast  come  out  of  the  sea,  with  all  the  marks  of 
authority  and  power,  and  on  his  heads  were  blasphemous 
names.  2.  In  this  beast  were  concentrated  all  the  powers 
of  evil  of  the  four  beasts  of  Daniel's  vision,  and  his  mas- 
ter, the  dragon,  gave  him  full  authority  and  power.  3.  One 
of  his  heads  was  apparently  slain,  but  the  wound  was  healed 
and  the  world  went  after  him  in  wonder  4.  and  worshipped 
both  the  dragon  and  the  beast,  for  men  felt  that  there 
was  no  power  on  earth  that  could  overcome  him.  5,  6.  And 
he  was  permitted  to  utter  blasphemies  against  God  and 
heaven  for  a  limited  time.  7.  And  the  beast  persecuted 
1  Deane,    p.    155. 


128  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

God's  children  and  conquered  them,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth.  8.  And  all  men,  except  the  elect 
of  God,  worshipped  him.  9.  Give  ear  to  this.  10.  If  one 
is  destined  for  captivity,  to  captivity  he  must  go.  If  one 
resists  death  with  the  sword,  he  must  himself  be  killed. 
Here  is  the  opportunity  to  show  endurance  and  fidelity. 
11.  And  I  saw  another  beast.  This  one  came  out  of  the 
earth;  and  he  had  lamb's  horns,  but  his  voice  was  the 
dragon's.  12.  This  was  the  agent  of  the  first  beast,  and 
carried  out  his  will  and  made  men  worship  the  beast  whose 
wound  was  healed.  13,  14.  He  deceived  men  by  use  of  su- 
pernatural powers,  and  bade  them  worship  the  beast,  be- 
cause he  made  them  believe  that  he  was  really  alive  and 
could  speak.  15.  And  he  commanded  that  all  should  be 
killed  who  would  not  worship  him.  16,  17.  And  he  compelled 
men  to  worship  him  by  making  this  worship  a  condition  of 
getting  the  necessities  of  life.  18.  Would  you  know  who 
this  beast  is?     His  number  is  six  hundred  and  sixty-six. 

Notes  v.  1  And  I  stood  The  Revised  Version  adopts  an 
alternate  reading:  "And  he  stood."  In  this  case  the  sentence 
belongs  to  the  previous  verse,  and  "he"  refers  to  Christ.  One 
reading  is  as  good  as  the  other.  The  Beast  For  this  word  and 
its  use,  cf.  Note  on  chapter  11:7.  In  this  chapter  the  word 
refers  to  the  Roman  Empire  (v.  1)  or  the  Roman  emperor 
(v.  4ff).  In  the  latter  case,  the  beast  is  identical  with  Anti- 
Christ.  The  coming  of  the  beast  out  of  the  sea  is  taken  di- 
rectly from  Dan.  7:3,  but  ultimately  from  some  myth  of  the 
beast  as  a  sea-monster.  In  11:7,  17:8,  the  beast  comes  from 
an  abyss,  because  the  actual  author  of  evil  is  meant.  Seven 
heads  In  17:9;  these  are  identified  with  the  seven  hills  of 
Rome,  as  symbols  of  the  seven  emperors  who  received  divine 
worship.  Ten  horns  (see  Dan.  7:7,  24).  Here  the  number 
ten  is  used  symbolically.  All  nations  are  to  be  subject  to 
the  beast  (cf.  17:12).  Names  of  blasphemy,  i.e.,  divine  titles 
taken  by  the  Roman  Emperors,  v.  2  This  description  com- 
bines the  first  three  beasts  of  Daniel,  (cf.  Hosea  13  :7ff.)  The 
fourth  beast  of  Daniel  is  represented  by  the  ten  horns.  The 
meaning  is  that  this  beast  is  the  concentration  of  all  powers  of 
evil.  v.  3  does  not  mean  that  the  beast  survives  in  spite  of 
the  loss  of  one  of  his  heads.    Rather  in  this  verse  and  also  in 


THE  DEAGON  AND  THE  BEAST        129 

v.  12  the  beast  is  identified  with  the  head,  which  here  repre- 
sents him.  v.  5  Taken  from  Dan.  7 :8,  20,  25.  Great  here  means 
proud.  Note  once  more  the  conventional  limit  of  the  time  of 
the  power  of  evil.  The  point  always  is  that  there  is  to  be 
an  end  to  the  sway  of  evil,  and  that  that  end  is  fixed.  This 
note  of  hope  is  hardly  absent  from  a  single  chapter  in  this 
book.  v.  6  Suggested  by  Dan.  7:25,  8:10.  v.  7  (cf.  Dan. 
7:21,  23.  See  also  Rev.  5:9).  v.  8  Book  of  Life  (see  on 
3:5).  Here  as  in  21:27  called  the  Lamb's  Book.  The  words 
"Lamb  slain"  may  possibly  be  an  interpolation.  In  any 
event  the  words  "from  the  foundation  of  the  world"  are  to 
be  joined  with  "written."  The  names  of  the  faithful  have 
been  there  from  the  beginning,  v.  10  The  probably  correct 
reading  of  this  verse  has  been  suggested  in  the  text.  Chris- 
tians are  here  urged  to  avoid  the  use  of  force  in  resisting 
persecution.  Not  violence,  but  patient  endurance  will  bring 
the  victory,  (cf.  Matt.  26:52.)  v.  11  By  coming  out  of  the 
earth,  the  human  nature  of  this  beast  is  possibly  indicated. 
This  beast  also  is  lamb-like  in  power  as  contrasted  with  the 
might  of  the  first  beast  (v.  2),  and  speaks  with  the  guile  of 
the  serpent,  and  not  with  the  loud  voice  of  blasphemy,  v.  12 
Before  him,  i.e.,  as  in  the  presence  of  his  master,  (cf.  Lk. 
1:75;  I  Kings,  17:1.)  w.  13-15  (cf.  II  Thess.  2:9;  Mark 
13:22;  II  Kings  1:10,  12.)  w.  14b-15  refer  to  the  Nero-myth, 
and  to  the  Christian  tradition  of  Nero  as  re-incarnate  in  Anti- 
Christ.  "Legends  of  statues  assuming  the  functions  of  life 
are  familiar  in  antiquity  (as  Pygmalion  and  Galatea),  and 
even  in  the  saints-legends  of  the  mediaeval  church."  v.  16 
The  mark  On  the  whole,  the  idea  of  branding  seems  most 
likely.  Devotees  of  a  god  were  accustomed  to  brand  them- 
selves with  his  mark.  cf.  Is.  44:5  (R.  V.  margin).  This 
practice  is  doubtless  referred  to  in  Gal.  6:17.  Akin  to  this  is 
the  custom  of  branding  slaves  with  the  mark  of  their  master. 
There  is  no  evidence,  however,  that  any  edict  contained  this 
demand  for  compulsory  branding.     It  may  have  been   used 


130  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

figuratively  by  the  author  to  denote  that  all  must  give  evidence 
of  loyalty,  v.  18  Understanding,  i.e.  skill  in  deciphering  the 
meaning  of  the  number,  cf.  Dan.  9:22.  Count  in  this  con- 
nection means  calculate. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  BEGINNING   OF   THE  END 

Revelation,  Chapters  14,  15,  16 

THE  reader  will  bear  in  mind  what  the  purpose  of  the 
author  of  the  book  has  been  from  chapter  9  onward. 
That  purpose,  as  we  have  seen,  is  to  carry  the  conflict  back 
to  its  original  sources,  to  trace  it  to  its  very  roots,  and  to 
point  out  that  the  victory  with  which  the  book  is  to  end 
is  no  temporary  triumph,  but  the  final  conquest  of  the  very 
principle  of  evil  by  God  and  by  the  all-conquering  Christ. 

The  author  prepares  for  this  culminating  portion  of  this 
great  spiritual  drama  by  receiving  a  fresh  commission  to 
utter  these  sublime  prophecies  (chapter  10).  Then  he  re- 
assures his  readers  of  the  safety  of  God's  servants  in  the 
midst  of  the  terrific  impact  between  the  forces  of  good  and 
evil  which  is  to  follow  by  the  vision  of  the  inner  shrine  and 
the  indestructibility  of  the  witnesses  of  God  (chapter  11:1-13). 
Then,  after  a  brief  passage  in  which  we  hear  a  hymn  of 
ascription  to  God,  and  behold  for  a  moment  the  ark  of 
safety  in  the  temple  of  heaven  (chapter  11:14-19),  we  are 
led  back  in  imagination  to  the  original  conflict  between  God 
and  Satan  and  are  told  how  Satan,  vanquished  in  heaven, 
is  permitted  for  a  time  to  persecute  with  venomous  hatred 
the  children  of  God  and  the  servants  of  Christ  on  earth. 
That  persecution  which  now  falls  upon  the  early  Christians 
of  the  primitive  church  is  told  in  detail  in  chapter  13.  The 
beast  of  the  Roman  Empire,  receiving  full  authority  from 
Satan,  commands  them  to  worship  the  Roman  emperor  upon 
penalty  of  death.     This  persecution  they  must  endure  with 

131 


132  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  BEVELATION 

patience  and  fortitude,  knowing  that  they  are  the  elect  of  God 
and  that  one  day  the  beast  is  to  be  overcome. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  point  when  that  final  battle  is  to 
take  place  which  will  result  in  casting  the  beast  into  the  lake 
of  brimstone  and  fire,  and  in  the  salvation  of  the  children  of 
God.  For  the  description  of  this  great  battle  scene,  the  au- 
thor makes  elaborate  preparation.  First,  he  gives  us  a  beau- 
tiful picture  of  the  followers  of  the  Lamb  as  they  are  gath- 
ered, faultless,  before  the  throne  of  God  (chapter  14:1-5). 
Next  he  issues,  as  it  were,  a  great  proclamation,  heralding 
the  beginning  of  this  tremendous  conflict  and  warning  all 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  (chapter  14:6-20).  Then  we 
have  the  final  series  of  judgments,  depicted  in  the  emptying 
of  the  seven  bowls  (chapters  15  and  16).  After  another 
hallelujah  chorus,  the  angels  of  God  come  forward  and  at 
the  word  of  command  they  empty  the  vials  of  the  final  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  the  world  (chapter  15:4-8,  and  chapter 
16).    Let  us  take  up  each  one  of  these  sections  in  turn. 

1.     The  Vision  of  the  'Redeemed  (Chapter  14:1-5) 

As  we  have  already  noted,  it  is  the  habit  of  the,  author  to 
contrast  shadow  and  light.  Over  against  the  picture  of  evil 
there  is  continually  set  the  shining  hope  of  ultimate  victory. 
This  fact  in  itself  constitutes  one  of  the  fundamental  spiritual 
messages  of  the  book.  We  are  never  allowed  to  forget  for 
a  moment  what  the  ultimate  outcome  is  to  be.  When  things 
are  at  their  worst,  some  message  always  pierces  the  dark- 
ness. Either  we  have  given  to  us  a  short,  sharp  summons 
to  endurance,  or  a  parable  of  assurance,  or  a  hymn  of  vic- 
tory breaks  in  triumph  over  our  bewildered  minds,  or  the 
doors  of  heaven  swing  open  for  a  moment  and  we  see  the 
ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  who  have  endured  to  the 
end  and  have  received  the  crown  of  life.  This  alternation 
of  darkness  and  light  makes  up  the  social  message  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation.     It  is  essentially  a  tract  for  hard  times. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  133 

It  is  a  book  for  the  social  worker  to  read.  He  can  match 
the  darkness  of  those  days  with  the  darkness  which  he  feels; 
the  burden  which  lay  upon  those  souls  with  the  burden  which 
lies  upon  his  own.  He  knows  that  he  is  not  called  upon 
to  endure  any  worse  trials  than  those  which  are  depicted  in 
this  book.  But  underneath  it  all  and  over  it  all  and  running 
through  it  all,  there  is  the  spiritual  assurance,  the  note  of 
victory,  the  knowledge  that  in  a  sense  the  fight  already  has 
been  won  and  that  for  him  there  remains  only  the  duty 
to  endure  to  the  end.  This  is  the  summons  which  cannot 
be  resisted.  The  fact  that  the  life,  of  faithful  endurance,  of 
refusal  to  bow  the  knee  to  Baal,  and  the  willing  acceptance 
of  any  sacrifice  which  this  loyalty  entails  numbers  us  among 
the  followers  of  the  lamb  now  and  forever  in  an  imperishable 
appeal  and  a  promise  of  infinite  hope. 

This  vision  of  the  redeemed  presents  only  a  few  features 
which  demand  special  mention.  What  does  the  author  mean 
by  Mount  Zion?  Are  we  to  think  of  it  as  in  heaven  or  on 
earth  ?  Here  there  is  much  difference  of  opinion.1  It  is  doubt- 
less true  that  anywhere  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the 
Jewish  apocalypses,  the  name,  synonymous  with  Jerusalem, 
denotes  the  earthly  and  Messianic  kingdom.  (Joel  2:32; 
Isa.  24:23;  Mic.  4:7;  etc.)  In  Heb.  12:22  it  is  also  true 
that  Mount  Zion  is  the  perfect  archetype  of  the  earthly  Jeru- 
salem and  not  heaven  as  the  abode  of  God.  In  this  book  the 
author  may  be  thinking  of  such  an  earthly  Zion  in  a  redeemed 
world.  Yet  even  with  him  it  takes  on  heavenly  features, 
and  for  us  it  is  impossible  to  think  of  anything  save  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem.  It  is  not,  therefore,  a  question  which  it 
is  important,  even  if  it  were  possible,  for  us  to  decide.  In 
the  second  place,  how  are  we  to  understand  the  number 
144,000?  Some  feel  that  this  number  stands  symbolically  for 
a  select  company  of  those  who  are  specially  distinguished  by 
their  holiness.    But  the  simpler  interpretation  is  that  it  stands 

JSee  Beckwith,  p.  646. 


134  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

for  the  whole  body  of  the  sealed  and  the  redeemed.1  (See 
chapter  7.)  The  clause  denning  their  chastity  is  probably  to 
be  taken  literally.  As  over  against  the  prevailing  immorality, 
the  prophet  thus  depicts  their  ascetic  purity.  It  is  to  be 
noted,  however,  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  book  to  show 
that  celibacy  was  a  part  of  our  author's  moral  ideal. 

The  close  parallelism  between  this  section  and  the  preced- 
ing chapter  will  not  escape  the  reader's  attention.  Over 
against  the  mark  of  the  beast,  Christ's  followers  have  the 
Father's  name  on  their  foreheads.  The  worshippers  of  the 
beast  declared  that  no  one  could  war  against  him;  and  here 
the  redeemed  sing  the  might  of  God  before  his  throne.  And 
both  chapters  begin  abruptly:  "And  I  stood  and  saw  a 
beast."    "And  I  looked,  and  lo,  a  Lamb." 

Chapter  14:1.  Then  in  contrast  to  the  beast  and  his 
worshippers,  I  saw  Christ  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  sur- 
rounded by  the  whole  number  of  the  redeemed  who  were 
marked  as  belonging  to  God.  2,  3.  And  I  heard  the  reverbe- 
ration of  many  voices,  accompanied  by  music,  singing  a 
song  before  God  which  only  the  redeemed  could  under- 
stand. 4.  These  have  kept  themselves  from  every  manner 
of  evil  and  they  shall  follow  Christ  always. 

Notes  v.  1  The  Lamb  This  is  the  common  designation  of 
Christ  in  Revelation.  The  names  Jesus  or  Christ  is  used  but 
five  times,  and  the  name  Lord  once.  In  all  other  cases  the 
Lamb  is  used  (28  in  all),  and  always  in  the  most  august  scenes. 
The  reference  is  plainly  to  the  redeeming  work  of  Christ, 
since  this  book  is  a  Gospel  of  Redemption.  The  glorified 
Christ  is  He  who  has  suffered  death  to  redeem  the  people 
of  God.  Outside  of  Revelation  and  the  Fourth  Gospel,  the 
word  is  used  but  once  in  the  New  Testament,  I  Pet.  1:19. 
W.  2-3  "Who  the  singers  are  is  left  indefinite  as  in  11:16, 
12:10,  19:6.  Probably  they  are  the  .  .  .  hosts  of  angels." 
(cf.  7:11;  Lk.  15:10.)  v.  4  The  specific  addition  of  the 
words   "with    women"    excludes    a   metaphorical    use    of   this 

1  See   Beckwith,   pp.    648,    650. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  135 

expression.     This  verse  and  that  which  follows   contains  an 
admonition  to  all  who  would  share  the  glory  of  the  redeemed. 

2.     Last  warnings.     (Chapter  14:6-20) 

We  have  here  a  series  of  short  warnings  or  proclamations 
in  which,  as  it  were,  the  field  is  cleared  for  action.  These 
announcements  are  made  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  seven 
times  over.  First,  an  angel  is  seen  flying  in  mid-heaven  with 
the  glad  tidings  that  judgment  is  near  and  calling  upon  all 
to  repent  (vv.  6,  7).  This  glad  tidings  is  the  burden  of  the 
book.  It  constitutes  the  hope  of  its  social  message.  "The 
hour  of  judgment  is  come."  It  is  in  this  conviction  that  all 
workers  for  truth  and  righteousness  can  continue  to  endure. 
These  tidings  are  like  the  word  coming  to  an  army  that  has 
struggled  to  the  limit  of  its  strength,  that  the  hour  of  victory 
is  at  hand.  It  requires  no  imagination  to  understand  what 
these  glad  tidings  meant  to  those  early~  Christians.  They 
bring  the  same  hope  to  us  to-day.  Again,  a  second  angel 
proclaims  the  impending  fall  of  Rome,  the  agent  of  Satan  and 
the  implacable  foe  of  the  people  of  God  (v.  8).  Let  us  re- 
member what  reaches  of  faith  and  spiritual  confidence  were 
needed  to  make  such  a  proclamation  while  Rome  still  stood 
apparently  invincible,  with  God's  people  helpless  in  its  grasp. 
It  is  a  verse  for  all  to  lay  to  heart  at  some  similar  moment  of 
contrast  between  truth  on  the  scaffold  and  wrong  on  the 
throne.  To  the  eye  of  this  prophet,  Rome  in  the  sight  of 
God  had  already  fallen.  Its  death-blow  had  already  been 
given.    We  must  believe  as  he  did. 

"For  right  is  right   since   God  is    God 
And  right  the  day  must  win; 
To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 
To  falter  would  be  sin." 

A  third  angel  pronounces  sentence  on  the  beast  and  all  who 
worship  him    (vv.  9-11).     Here  we  have  the  reversal  of  the 


136  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

situation  described  in  11:7-10  and  13:12-17.  Let  it  not  be 
forgotten  that  terrible  as  are  these  descriptions  of  the  punish- 
ment of  evil,  they  do  stand  for  spiritual  realities.  It  is, 
after  all,  a  weakened  sense  of  sin  and  of  the  moral  law 
which  has  banished  from  the  modern  mind  the  impression 
of  any  meaning  in  these  symbols  of  divine  retribution.  If 
we  had  even  a  partial  conception  of  the  physical  and  mental 
agonies  endured  in  this  life  by  those  who  have  persistently 
violated  the  laws  of  nature  and  of  God,  and  of  spiritual 
remorse  which  like  the  furies  pursues  many  an  outraged  con- 
science, we  should  be  in  a  better  position  to  grasp  the  reality 
here  depicted:  "an  anguish  which  only  spirits  can  know;  the 
sense  of  something  lost,  endless  discontent  for  what  has  been 
exchanged  for  it,  the  undying  worm  of  conscience."  The 
author  himself  repeats  a  warning  which  he  had  already  ut- 
tered in  the  previous  chapter  (cf.  v.  12,  13:10).  Here,  he 
says,  is  the  opportunity  which  the  servants  of  Christ  have 
to  exhibit  their  powers  of  endurance.  Among  all  forms  of 
witness-bearing,  none  perhaps  is  more  effective  than  simple 
continuance  in  faithful  living.  Not  to  be  weary  in  well-doing 
is  the  final  demonstration  of  true  sainthood.  It  has  been 
the  perseverance  of  the  saints  more  than  any  other  single 
quality  which  has  borne  effective  witness  to  the  realities  of 
faith.  A  voice  from  heaven  then  pronounces  a  blessing  on 
the  martyred  dead  (v.  13).  This  is  one  of  the  most  familiar 
verses  in  the  Bible.  It  is  made  sacred  for  us  by  its  use  to- 
day when  we  come  to  lay  away  our  dead.  But  how  its  spirit- 
ual eloquence  and  meaning  are  heightened  when  we  under- 
stand the  circumstances  which  first  caused  it  to  be  uttered! 
Imagine  what  these  words  meant  to  those  who  first  read  them. 
And  it  is  our  hope  to-day  that  nothing  is  lost  in  the  lives  of 
those  who  bear  faithful  witness  to  Christ.  "They  rest  from 
their  labors  but  their  works  follow  with  them"  (R.  V.).  Noth- 
ing in  the  realm  of  righteousness  is  ever  lost.  Every  right 
word,  deed,  and  thought  is  eternally  conserved  and  has  its 
permanent  place  in  a  world  that  shall  endure  long  after  the 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  137 

visible  world  has  ceased  to  be.     This  is  the  blessing  of  those 
who  die  in  the  Lord.     They  and  their  works  are  imperishable. 

He  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abideth  forever.  (I  John 
2:17.) 

A  vision  of  the  Messiah  as  harvester,  reminiscent  of  Daniel 
and  of  the  parable  of  the  tares,  then  follows  (vv.  14,  16) ; 
and  another,  reminding  us  of  a  familiar  passage  from  Joel 
(3:13),  pictures  God  trampling  his  foes  under  his  feet  in 
the  winepress  of  his  wrath  (w.  18-20).  It  is  not  necessary 
to  separate  these  two  in  our  thought  of  what  they  represent. 
Harvest  and  vintage  together  represent  the  gathering  of 
all  mankind  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God.  It  is  a  carrying 
over  to  the  moral  field  the  lesson  of  nature.  The  natural 
year  is  a  parable  of  personal  and  of  human  history.  "What- 
soever a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."  It  is  a  final 
repetition  of  a  solemn  lesson  taught  by  the  prophets  and  re- 
inforced by  Christ  of  the  gathering  of  the  wheat  into  the 
heavenly  garner,  but  casting  out  to  be  trodden  under  foot 
that  which  was  worthless  in  his  sight.  No  one  can  fully 
understand  the  graphic  symbolism  of  the  winepress  who  has 
not  witnessed  an  oriental  actually  treading  the  juice  from  the 
grape.  The  prophet  Isaiah  has  made  use  of  it  in  a  well- 
known  passage  (chap.  63:1-6)  to  describe  the  divine  wrath. 
Doubtless  our  author  had  it  in  mind  when  he  wrote.  It  is 
needless  to  add  that  Julia  Ward  Howe  found  in  this  passage 
from  Revelation  the  inspiration  for  her  opening  verse  of 
the  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic. 

Chapter  14:6,  7.  I  saw  an  angel  flying  across  the  skies 
and  proclaiming  the  everlastingly  glad  tidings  that  men  must 
now,  if  ever,  repent,  since  the  hour  of  judgment  has  at 
last  arrived.  8.  Another  angel  followed  proclaiming,  as 
if  it  had  already  happened,  that  Rome  has  fallen  because 
of  her  sins.  9-11.  A  third  angel  told  of  the  endless  tor- 
ments reserved  for  the  idolatrous  worshippers  of  the  beast, 
and  for  all  who  are  marked  with  his  name.  12.  Here 
appears  the  opportunity  for  the  fidelity  and  endurance  of 
the  people  of  God.     13.  Then  a  voice  from  heaven  spoke  of 


V 


138  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

the  blessedness  of  those  who  were  willing  even  to  die  for 
Christ's  sake.  Their  toils  are  over  and  all  that  they  have 
been  and  all  that  they  have  done  goes  on,  undying,  with 
them.  14.  Then  1  saw  a  figure  like  the  Son  of  Man  appear- 
ing on  a  cloud,  crowned  like  a  king,  and  holding  a  sickle 
in  his  hand.  15.  And  when  an  angel  bade  him,  he  reaped 
what  was  ripe  from  the  earth.  16-20.  Still  another  angel, 
when  commanded  to  do  so  by  an  angel  who  had  power  over 
fire,  gathered  the  grapes  of  the  earth  and  cast  them  into 
the  winepress  of  the  wrath  of  God  whence  a  flood  of  wine, 
like   blood,  flowed   over  all  the  earth. 

Notes  v.  6  Everlasting  G-ospel  Not  the  gospel  of  grace,  but 
the  glad  tidings  that  God's  purpose  for  his  people  is  about 
to  be  accomplished  (cf.  Mark  1:15).  v.  8  Babylon  formed 
the  ancient  parallel  to  Rome.  In  all  later  Jewish  apocalypses 
(probably  also  in  I  Pet.  5:13)  Babylon  became  the  mystic 
name  for  the  city  of  Rome.  The  language  here  is  taken 
directly  from  Isa.  21:9.  (cf.  Jer.  50:2,  51:8.)  Two  ideas  are 
blended  in  the  phrases  which  follow:  Rome's  enticement  of 
other  nations  to  idolatry  and  immorality,  and  the  cup  of 
the  wrath  of  God  (cf.  Jer.  25:15;  Job.  21:20,  etc.) 
w.  10-11  Unending  torment  in  fire  is  the  conventional  pun- 
ishment everywhere  in  apocalyptical  literature,  and  so  in  the 
sayings  of  Christ,  assigned  to  Satan  and  his  followers.  No 
theory  of  "everlasting  punishment"  is  thus  to  be  read  into 
the  words.  The  phrase  "in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb,"  sug- 
gesting that  the  bliss  of  the  faithful  is  in  full  sight,  reminds 
us  of  Lk.  16:23.  v.  13  from  henceforth,  i.e.  all  through  the 
ages;  works  follow  with  them  (cf.  II  Esdras  7:35).  "The 
work  shall  follow  and  the  reward  shall  be  showed,  and  good 
deeds  shall  awake."  w.  14-20  What  is  here  revealed  in  an- 
ticipating visions  is  fully  described  in  chapters  19-20.  Both 
of  these  figures  of  the  harvest  and  of  the  wine-press  are 
familiar  to  Bible  readers,  and  both  are  descriptive  of  the 
same  event,  v.  14  Son  of  Man  Taken  from  Dan.  7:13.  The 
description  here  makes  it  probable  that  the  Messiah  and  not 
an  archangel  is  meant.  The  fact  that  he  is  told  by  another 
angel  to  thrust  in  the  sickle  does  not  present  an  insuperable 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  139 

difficulty,  since  this  latter  angel  evidently  speaks  for  God  Him- 
self, (cf.  John  5:19,  and  Acts  1:7.)  For  a  similar  de- 
scription of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  see  Matt.  24:30, 
26:64.  v.  15ff  (cf.  Joel  3:13.)  vv.  17ff  (cf.  Joel  3:13;  Gen. 
49:11;  Isa.  63:2-4;  Lam.  1:15.)  The  connection  of  this 
vision  with  the  preceding  one  is  clear.  The  first  pictures  the 
whole  judgment  by  Christ,  and  the  second  a  particular  part 
of  it,  viz.  the  vengeance  of  God  upon  the  wicked  executed 
by  an  angel  (Matt.  13:41,  49).  v.  18  "from  the  altar."  This 
angel  comes  from  the  altar  of  incense  to  show  that  the 
prayers  of  the  saints  are  about  to  be  answered.  Power  over 
fire  This  detail  is  not  clear,  but  the  author's  purpose  may  be 
to  associate  him  with  the  burning  fires  of  incense  which 
ascend  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  v.  20  without  the  city 
refers  probably  to  the  traditional  conception  of  the  defeat 
of  the  enemies  of  Israel  near  Jerusalem.  A  thousand  and 
six  hundred  furlongs — the  symbolical  representation  of  a 
vast  field  of  blood.  It  is  not  possible  to  say  just  why  this 
particular  number  is  used. 

3.     The  Final  Judgments   (Chapters  15  and  16) 

We  come  at  last  to  the  long-delayed  third  series  of  judg- 
ments. They  had  been  heralded  by  the  blowing  of  the  seventh 
trumpet-blast  in  chapter  11:15,  and  they  look  forward  to  the 
final  events  in  this  great  drama  of  judgment,  the  destruction 
of  Rome  and  the  consummation  of  the  moral  order.  Like 
the  first  and  second  series  of  woes  it  will  describe  a  terrible 
and  supernatural  punishment  of  the  world.  Unlike  them, 
however,  it  will  eventuate  in  the  final  establishment  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  upon  earth. 

Certain  difficulties  are  presented  to  the  reader  by  this  third 
series  of  woes.  For  one  thing,  it  has  been  so  long  delayed 
that  one  may  have  forgotten  that  it  had  not  yet  taken  place. 
The  reasons  for  this  delay  have,  however,  already  been  stated. 
Just   because   these   are   the   final   judgments,    they   are    ap- 


140  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

proached  with  deliberation,  and  the  author  must  make  clear 
that  the  struggle  is  carried  back  from  the  field  of  contem- 
porary history,  to  the  very  origins  of  Satan's  opposition  to 
God.  Again,  the  absence  of  the  special  designation  of  these 
woes  by  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet  (chapters  8:13; 
10 :7)  is  somewhat  perplexing.  In  place  of  this,  we  have 
seven  angels  (chapter  15:1),  with  the  seven  last  plagues. 
This  third  series  of  judgments,  then,  takes  its  place  as  the 
seventh  in  the  list  of  trumpet-plagues,  but  by  the  change 
of  form  is  symbolized  its  completeness.  No  other  series  is 
to  follow.  A  third  difficulty  is  this:  as  these  judgments  are 
the  climax  of  all  the  others,  we  should  naturally  expect  them 
to  be  more  terrible  than  those  which  precede  them,  and  to 
be  in  a  class,  as  it  were,  by  themselves.  Instead  of  this, 
they  are  less  detailed  and  less  vivid  and  impressive  in  their 
imagery  and  even  appear  to  repeat  the  punishments  that  fol- 
lowed the  sounding  of  the  six  trumpets.  Are  we  to  suppose 
that  the  author  has,  so  to  speak,  exhausted  his  vocabulary 
and  his  powers  of  imagination — that  he  has  nothing  new  that 
he  can  tell  us?  A  more  likely  hypothesis  is  this:  that  in 
the  preceding  series,  the  judgments  are  confined  to  the  de- 
scription of  the  punishments  themselves.  In  this  case,  how- 
ever, the  mind  of  the  author  runs  rapidly  forward  to  the 
consummation — the  casting  of  Satan  into  the  bottomless  pit, 
the  general  Resurrection,  and  the  final  blessedness  of  the 
Redeemed.  The  real  climax,  that  is,  to  the  emptying  of  the 
seven  bowls  is  not  to  be  found  in  chapter  16,  but  in  chapters 
17-20.  There  we  have  new  and  distinctive  material,  to  which 
chapters  15  and  16  are  a  mere  prelude. 

Another  difference  between  this  third  series  and  the  series 
of  the  seals  and  the  trumpets  is  to  be  noted.  Each  of  these 
is  divided  into  two  sections,  first  of  four  visions,  then  of  three 
which  are  different  in  character.  When  the  seals  were  opened, 
we  had  four  horsemen  and  then  the  souls  of  the  slain,  an 
earthquake,  and  the  seventh  seal  opening  up  to  the  first 
trumpet.      Similarly,   when   the   trumpets   were   sounded,    we 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  141 

had  four  plagues,  then  a  falling  star,  an  army  of  cavalry,  and 
the  seventh  trumpet  leading  up  to  the  final  wars.  But  in 
the  case  of  the  seven  bowls,  the  judgments  are  all  alike  and 
the  seventh  bowl  is  poured  out  like  the  rest.  Then  an  angel 
is  ready  to  show  to  the  prophet  the  complete  destruction  of 
Rome,  the  final  collapse  of  evil. 

When  chapter  15  opens  announcement  is  made  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  seven  last  plagues,  in  which  the  wrath  of  God 
is  at  last  completely  expressed  and  accomplished.    As  so  often 
before,  there  is  light  before  darkness.    We  hear,  before  these 
bowls  of  wrath  are  emptied,  a  hymn  of  praise  by  the  saints 
of  God  who  are  seen  standing  in  heaven  as  victors  over  the 
beast  and  glorifying  God  for  his  acts  of  righteous  judgment. 
It  is  a  familiar  hymn,  as  old  as  Moses  and  yet  finding  its 
completion  in  the  redemption  of  Christ.     Then,  with  solemn 
pomp  and  majesty  the  sanctuary  of  heaven  is  seen  and  seven 
angels    appear    with    garments    of    white    and    wearing    (cf. 
1:13)   girdles  of  gold.     From  the  presence  of  God  Himself 
and  by  the  hand  of  one  of  the  four  living  creatures  that  stand 
nearest  to  Him,  there  are  handed  to  these  angels  seven  ves- 
sels filled  full  with  the  wrath  of  God.     A  great  cloud,  the 
symbol  of   God's   presence  and  power,   fills  his  temple,   and 
God's   own   voice   bids  the   angels   go   forth   and   empty   the 
vessels  of  his  wrath.    This  they  do  and  plagues  follow  which 
remind  us  of  the  plagues  of   Egypt  and  are  not  dissimilar 
to  those  which  resulted  from  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets. 
There  are  two  brief  interludes  in  chapter  16.    The  first  occurs 
in  vv.  5-7  when  the  angel  of  the  rivers  and  the  angel  of  the 
altar  join  in  praising  God  for  his  judgments.     The  second  is 
contained  in  v.  15,  where  the  prophet  inserts  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord  a  warning  to  be  ready  because  of  the  suddenness 
of  the  advent.     In  this  way,  these  chapters  take  their  place 
in  the  whole  plan  of  the  book,  and  with  literary  skill  and 
dramatic  power  lead  up  to  the  final  consummation. 

In  the  spiritual  interpretation  of  these  judgments,  as  for 
those  which   have   preceded,   we  hold  fast   to  the  idea   that 


142  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

the  writer  is  thinking  of  his  readers  and  of  their  necessities 
and  is  keeping  close  to  his  purpose  of  encouraging  them.  A 
favorite  way  of  interpreting  the  Book  of  Revelation  at  one 
time,  the  influence  of  which  has  not  yet  passed,  was  to  find 
in  these  judgments  a  prediction  of  coming  historical  events, 
such  as  the  Turkish  Invasion  and  the  French  Revolution. 
The  world  war  has  naturally  stimulated  that  kind  of  in- 
terpretation. Men  have  seen  exact  parallels  between  the  ca- 
tastrophes of  this  chapter  and  those  which  have  befallen 
the  world  during  these  past  years.  But  the  writer  is  think- 
ing only  of  contemporary  history.  He  finds  the  material  for 
his  descriptions  of  judgment  either  in  the  Old  Testament  with 
its  Egyptian  plagues,  or  in  the  catastrophes  in  nature  or  so- 
ciety which  actually  befell,  or  were  likely  to  befall,  the  Roman 
world  of  his  day.  The  spiritual  meaning  of  the  chapter, 
however,  is  neither  temporary  nor  local.  The  wrath  of  God 
does  fall  upon  a  recreant  world.  His  judgments  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether.  The  cataclysm  of  the  war  years  was 
in  this  spiritual  sense  a  repetition  of  these  chapters  of  judg- 
ment from  the  Book  of  Revelation.  The  Armageddon  of  the 
prophet's  imagination  became  in  very  truth  the  vast  slaughter- 
fields  of  modem  Europe.  No  period  in  history  since  this 
book  was  written  bears  such  witness  to  the  essential  truth 
of  these  chapters  as  that  through  which  our  own  generation 
has  lived.  No  detail  of  this  terrible  chapter  has  been  missing. 
It  has  indeed  been  given  unto  us  to  drink  "the  cup  of  the 
wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath." 

Chapter  15:1.  Then  I  saw  another  great  and  wonderful 
portent  in  heaven:  seven  angels  having  the  seven  last 
plagues  which  will  complete  the  wrath  of  God.  2.  But  also 
I  had  a  vision  of  the  blessedness  of  those  who  had  refused 
to  worship  the  beast.  These  stood  upon  what  looked  like 
a  sea  of  fiery  glass  and  with  harps  3.  they  sang  a  song  such 
as  Moses  sang  when  the  children  of  Israel  were  delivered 
from  Egypt,  but  they  sang  it  of  Christ  by  whose  death  they 
had  been  redeemed,  and  they  praised  God  whose  righteous 
ways  are  unerring  4.  and  whose  power  is  now  about  to  be 
recognized  by   all  the   nations.     5,   6.   Then  I   saw  the   seven 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  143 

angels  come  forth  all  clothed  in  white.  7.  And  all  of  the 
cherubim  gave  them  seven  gold  bowls  filled  with  God's 
wrath.  8.  And  as  of  old  the  temple  was  filled  with  the 
smoke  of  the  glory  and  power  of  God,  so  that  no  one  could 
enter  it  until  the  plagues  had  been  completed.  16:1,2.  Then 
the  command  came  to  the  angels  from  God  Himself,  and 
the  first  angel  poured  out  his  bowl  on  the  earth  and  a  ter- 
rible ulcer  afflicted  the  worshippers  of  the  beast.  3.  The 
second  angel  emptied  his  bowl  upon  the  seas,  which  became 
thick  red  blood,  and  every  living  thing  in  it  perished. 
4.  The  third  emptied  his  bowl  into  all  fresh  waters,  and 
they  also  were  turned  into  blood.  5,  6.  And  when  the  guard- 
ian angel  of  the  waters  declared  that  it  was  just  that  they 
who  have  shed  blood  should  drink  blood,  7.  the  altar-angel 
answered,  Verily  the  judgments  of  God  are  lust.  8.  The 
fourth  angel  poured  his  bowl  upon  the  sun  whose  terrible 
heat  then  scorched  men:  9.  yet  even  then  they  reviled 
God  and  refused  to  repent.  10.  The  fifth  emptied  his  bowl 
on  the  very  throne  whereon  the  beast  sat,  and  darkness 
fell  upon  his  whole  empire  and  his  subjects  gnawed  their 
tongues  in  agony,  11.  cursed  God  because  of  their  suffer- 
ings, and  would  not  repent.  12.  The  sixth  angel  poured 
out  his  bowl  over  the  great  river  Euphrates,  which  straight- 
way dried  up  so  that  the  Parthians  could  pass  over  as  they 
marched  against  Eome.  13,  14.  Then  I  saw  Satan  and  the 
beast  and  the  pagan  priesthood  emit  evil  spirits  which 
looked  like  frogs  which  should  incite  the  nations  of  the  world 
to  a  terrible  world-conflict,  which  will  take  place  on  God's 
great  day.  15.  (Eemember,  this  day  can  come  at  any  mo- 
ment. Blessed  is  he  who  is  watching  and  ready  so  that  he 
will  not  be  unprepared.)  16.  And  the  evil  spirits  mus- 
tered the  nations  together  for  this  last  war  at  the  place 
called  (in  Hebrew)  Harmagedon.  17.  The  seventh  and 
last  angel  poured  out  his  bowl  upon  the  air.  A  voice  from 
heaven  declared  this  to  be  the  end.  18.  Then  there  fol- 
lowed confused  voices,  lightnings  and  thunders  and  such  an 
earthquake  as  the  world  had  never  known,  19.  which  split 
Eome  into  three  pieces  and  shattered  all  other  cities.  Eome 
was  not  forgotten.  She  drank  to  the  dregs  the  cup  of 
God's  anger.  20.  Islands  vanished,  no  mountain  remained 
to  be  seen,  21.  and  crushing  hail-stones  fell  upon  men  who 
continued  to  curse  God  because  the  distress  caused  by  the 
hail  was  fearful. 

Notes  15:1  Seven  is  the  complete  number.  (See  Lev.  26:18, 
21,  24,  28.)  v.  2  Sea  of  glass  (cf.  4:6)  describing  the  pave- 
ment of  the  throne-room  of  God.  (See  Ex.  24:10;  Ezek. 
1:26.)      The  notion   of   a   sea   in   the   heavens  was   common 


144  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

(Gen.  1:7),  and  may  have  been  due  to  the  likeness  in  ap- 
pearance of  sky  and  sea.  In  this  case  the  suggestion  of  fire 
here  may  go  back  to  lightning.  There  is  no  special  symboli- 
cal meaning,  v.  3  Song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb1  For  a 
song  of  Moses  for  deliverance,  see  Exodus  15.  Since  the 
plagues  which  follow  bear  certain  resemblances  to  those  of 
Egypt  there  is  no  reason  why  this  song  may  not  have  been 
meant.  It  may,  however,  refer  to  the  song  of  Moses  in  Deut. 
32,  which  bears  a  closer  verbal  resemblance  to  the  song  in 
this  chapter,  which  is  not  one  of  deliverance  so  much  as  of 
praise  of  the  righteousness  of  God  in  his  dealings  with  men. 
The  song  is  also  of  the  Lamb  because  Christ  is  the  agent  of 
God  in  the  revelation  and  execution  of  his  judgments,  v.  8 
For  the  cloud  as  a  sign  of  the  presence  and  power  of  God, 
see  Ex.  19:18,  24:16;  I  Kings  8:10fT;  II  Chron.  5:13;  Isa.  6:4; 
Ezek.  10:4.  16:2,  3  The  first  plague  is  like  that  of  the  boils  in 
Exodus  9:10,  while  the  second  reminds  us  of  Ex.  7:20  and 
Rev.  8:8.  In  the  corresponding  trumpet-plague,  however, 
only  a  third  part  of  the  sea  was  affected,  w.  4-7  has  its 
parallel  in  Ex.  7:20,  and  Rev.  8:11.  The  song  which  fol- 
lows is  akin  to  15:3ff,  and  has  the  same  meaning.  In  the 
angel  of  the  altar  reference  may  be  made  to  the  souls  of  the 
martyrs,  6:9,  or  to  the  prayer  of  the  saints,  8:3-5.  v.  10  (cf. 
Ex.  10:22.)  v.  12  The  drying  up  of  the  Euphrates  has  for 
its  ultimate  origin,  of  course,  the  miracle  at  the  Red  Sea. 
(Ex.  14:21ff.  cf.  Isa.  11:16;  cf.  Rev.  9:14.)  The  dragon 
and  his  two  agents  make  an  unheralded  entrance  on  the  scene. 
The  kings  here  are  different  from  v.  12.  Here  all  nations 
are  meant,  and  are  identical  with  those  of  17:12-14.  In  this 
passage  we  have  the  preparation  for  the  world-conflict  which 
actually  takes  place  in  chapter  19.  Of  this  preparation,  the 
possible  attack  of  the  Parthian  kings  and  the  gathering  of 
all  nations  are  component  parts,  v.  13  Frogs  Possibly  sug- 
gested by  Ex.  8:6,  but  more  likely  by  a  familiar  figure  in 
Persian  mythology,  v.  16  Harmageddon  Not  found  in  He- 
i  See   Beckwith,    pp.   676,   677. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  END  145 

brew  literature.  The  author  either  invented  it  or  found  it 
in  some  source  unknown  to  us  and  used  it  simply  to  give 
pictorial  precision  to  his  picture  of  the  great  and  final  battle 
between  Anti-Christ  and  the  Messiah,  w.  17ff.  In  the  de- 
scription of  the  last  plague  the  author  endeavors  by  every 
means  to  heighten  the  effect.  The  adjective  "great"  is  used 
seven  times,  and  the  resources  of  his  vocabulary  are  exhausted 
in  his  efforts  to  depict  this  final  and  tragical  judgment. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE    DOOM    OF    EVIL 

Revelation,  Chapters  17,  18,  19,  20 

THE  connection  is  clear  between  the  chapters  that  have 
preceded  and  these  chapters  which  follow.  There  we 
had  described  the  beginning  of  the  end.  Here  is  the  end 
itself.  Precisely  as  the  author  carried  the  evil  which  he  tells 
us  is  marked  for  destruction  back  from  its  temporary  mani- 
festations in  history  to  its  ultimate  sources,  so  here  in  the 
account  of  its  destruction,  he  gives  us  not  only  the  story  of 
the  downfall  of  the  Roman  Empire  (chapters  17  and  18),  but 
also  of  the  overthrow  of  evil  itself  as  it  is  incarnate  in  Satan, 
the  spirit  of  evil  (chapters  19  and  20).  Thus  the  full  spirit- 
ual purpose  of  the  author  and  the  full  spiritual  unity  of  the 
book  are  achieved.  What  we  are  told  in  these  chapters  is  the 
summary  of  the  Social  Hope  not  only  of  its  age,  but  of  every 
age.  We  are  told,  first,  that  this  present  world-order  is  un- 
der the  control  of  God  and  subject  to  his  righteous  judg- 
ments. Nothing  is  more  remarkable  in  the  description  of 
Rome  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  than  the  full  justice  done 
to  her  power  and  regal  glory.  "There  is  not  an  untrue  stroke 
in  it.  The  woman  is  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet,  the  colors 
of  empire.  She  is  decked  with  gold  and  precious  stones  and 
pearls.  The  wealth  of  the  whole  world  is  poured  into  her 
lap.  She  holds  in  her  hand  the  golden  cup  of  an  advanced 
civilization.  She  is  poised  upon  the  beast,  the  symbol  of 
empire.  She  sits  upon  many  waters,  that  is,  rules  over  many 
subject  peoples  and  nations.  Tributary  kings  carry  out  her 
behests.      It    is    a    remarkable    picture    of    the    wealth    and 

146 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  147 

glory  and  dominion  of  Rome  which  the  author  gives."  1  But 
this  is  not  the  whole  truth  about  her.  Commensurate  with 
the  power  of  Rome  is  the  guilt  of  Rome.  This,  too,  the  au- 
thor portrays  with  unflinching  precision.  He  uses  the  harsh 
language  of  harlotry  which  the  Old  Testament  prophets  had 
applied  to  Jerusalem,  and  calls  Rome  the  mother  of  harlots, 
who  not  only  had  sunk  herself  to  the  bottom  of  immorality 
and  idolatry,  but  had  seduced  other  nations  to  the  sink-level 
of  her  own  iniquity  and  had  herself  become  drunk  with  the 
blood  of  martyrs.  With  these  few  swift  strokes  the  author 
depicts  the  terrible  and  irretrievable  moral  degradation  be- 
cause of  which  she  is  to  be  destroyed. 

The  spiritual  truth  of  this  chapter  becomes  the  moral  les- 
son of  all  history,  and  is  the  burden  of  its  social  message 
to  its  time  and  to  all  time.  Pomp  and  glory  count  for  noth- 
ing in  the  eyes  of  God.  Nations  are  judged  by  their  moral 
obedience  to  the  eternal  and  just  laws  of  God.  The  dirge 
which  our  author  intones  over  Rome  is  reflected  in  Rudyard 
Kipling's  noble  Recessional: 

"Far-called  our  navies  melt  away, 
On  dune  and  headland  sinks  the  fire; 
Lo,  all  our  pomp  of  yesterday 
Is  one  with  Nineveh  and  Tyre! 
Judge  of  the  Nations,  spare  us  yet, 
Lest  we  forget,  lest  we  forget! 

"If  drunk  with  sight  of  power,  we  loose 
Wild  tongues  that  have  not  Thee  in  awe, 
Such  boasting  as  the  Gentiles  use 
Or  lesser  breeds   without   the  law: 
Lord  God  of  hosts,  be  with  us  yet, 
Lest  we  forget,  lest  we  forget!" 

This  "valiant  dust  that  builds  on  dust"  sinks  into   nothing- 
ness in  chapter  18  with  a  pathos  and  power  of  description 
1  Deane,   pp.   202-4. 


148  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OP  REVELATION 

which  is  not  surpassed  elsewhere  in  the  book,  and  a  piercing 
lamentation  is  uttered  by  the  beholders,  who  weep  and  mourn 
and  cry  out  as  they  look  upon  the  smoke  of  her  burning: 

Woe,  woe,  the  great  city.  She  that  was  arrayed  in  fine 
linen  and  purple  and  scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold  and 
precious  stone  and  pearl!  for  in  one  hour  so  great  riches 
is  made  desolate.     (Rev.  18:16,  17.) 

The  destruction  of  Rome,  however,  does  not  complete  the 
author's  purpose  to  demonstrate  that  the  very  principle  of 
evil,  of  which  Rome  was  the  temporary  and  historical  repre- 
sentation and  instrument,  is  itself  marked  for  destruction. 
To  this  consummation  the  author  presses  swiftly  forward. 
After  a  characteristic  introduction,  contrasting  vividly  the 
picture  of  the  ruin  of  Rome  with  the  triumph  of  the  hymning 
servants  of  God,  who  prepare  for  the  marriage-supper  of 
the  Lamb,  the  heavens  are  opened,  and  Christ  the  conqueror 
is  seen  to  ride  forth  followed  by  the  saints  of  God  "in  bright 
array."  "The  King  of  Glory  passes  on  his  way";  and  over 
against  Him  there  are  the  beast  and  the  kings  of  the  earth 
and  the  pagan  priests  and  all  who  have  opposed  God  and 
persecuted  his  people.  The  shock  of  the  final  conflict  is 
about  to  take  place.  That  battle  is  not  described.  There  is 
no  real  opposition.  Evil  is  helpless  before  Him  who  goes 
forth  conquering  and  to  conquer.  Only  the  sequence  in  the 
different  manifestations  of  its  destruction  is  given  us.  First 
the  beast  is  taken, — Imperial  Rome  as  personified  in  Anti- 
Christ;  second,  the  pagan  priesthood  and  the  false  prophet 
are  cast  into  the  brimstone  lake;  third,  their  followers  are 
killed  with  the  sword.  There  remains  only  the  dragon,  Satan, 
the  original  principle  of  evil  itself. 

The  destruction  of  Satan  is  the  theme  of  chapter  20,  one 
of  the  most  fateful  chapters  of  the  New  Testament,  if  we 
consider  its  influence  upon  subsequent  Christian  thought.  But 
for  one  who  has  closely  followed  the  spiritual  interpretation 
of  this  book,  the  meaning  of  this  chapter  stands  out  clear  as 
daylight.     We   should  not   expect  that   Satan   could  be   dis- 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  149 

posed  of  as  summarily  as  his  inferior  agents.  We  would 
look  naturally  for  more  resistance,  for  temporary  escape 
and  for  final  capture  and  annihilation.  Precisely  that  is  the 
account  of  the  final  duel  in  this  chapter.  Evil  once  taken, 
it  seems  as  if  the  millennium  had  come  at  last,  and  for  a  time 
the  people  of  God  live  in  security  and  peace.  But  Satan  will 
not  yet  submit.  His  might  has  not  yet  been  overcome.  To 
the  very  end,  the  author  thus  does  full  justice  to  the  tre- 
mendous and  tenacious  and  inveterate  power  of  evil.  Satan 
breaks  loose  once  more  for  a  time,  but  is  at  last  taken  and 
cast  into  the  brimstone  lake, 

Where    are    also    the    beast    and   the    false    prophet,    and 
they  shall  be  tormented  forever  and  ever.     (Rev.  20:10.) 

The  doom  of  evil  is  complete. 

The  spiritual  truth  of  these  chapters  constitute  the  final 
basis  of  the  Social  Hope,  since  they  describe  the  destruction 
of  evil  itself.  With  that  assurance,  "hearts  are  brave  again 
and  arms  are  strong."  We  can  imagine  what  it  must  have 
meant  to  those  early  Christians  to  read  the  description  of 
how,  one  after  another,  the  beast  and  the  pagan  prophets 
and  finally  Satan  himself  were  sent  headlong  down  into  the 
brimstone  lake!  Upon  our  hearts  the  truth  falls  with  no 
loss  of  meaning.  Two  thousand  years  have  passed  since  this 
glowing  prophecy  was  written.  Rome  indeed  has  passed 
away,  but  other  agents  and  instruments  of  evil  have  taken 
her  place.  Other  beasts  and  pagan  prophets  have  appeared 
down  to  our  very  day.  Satan  himself  remains  "to  compass 
the  camp  of  the  saints  about."  Millions  of  the  best  lives 
of  our  planet  have  within  our  own  memory  been  sacrificed  as 
a  witness  to  his  power  over  the  world.  All  of  the  intelligence, 
civilization  and  even  Christianity  of  the  world  have  thus  far 
been  unable  to  curb  his  power  or  stay  his  hand.  What  won- 
der if  counsels  of  despair  prevail;  if  we  are  assured  that 
evil  is  in  this  world  to  stay;  that  all  efforts  to  dislodge  it 
are  necessarily   partial   and  temporary;   that   human   nature 


150  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

cannot  be  changed;  that  there  will  always  be  war  and  hatred 
and  its  accompanying  sorrows  and  sins;  that  only  deluded 
optimists  will  ever  expect  sin  itself  to  be  vanquished?  Over 
against  all  such  unfaith  there  stands  the  imperishable  mes- 
sage of  these  chapters.  Like  a  bulwark  they  stand  between 
our  souls  and  ultimate  despair  in  the  moral  victory  of  the 
Good.  "And  the  devil  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  Evil 
shall  ultimately  be  destroyed.  Nothing  in  the  end  can  with- 
stand the  righteousness  of  God  and  the  omnipotence  of  Jesus 
Christ.  (  This  is  the~social  message  of  the  Book  of  Revelation. 
He  who  takes  it  and  holds  it  fast  in  his  heart  is  equipped 
and  prepared  to  face,  in  the  spirit  of  unconquerable  op- 
position and  of  undying  hope,  the  principalities  and  powers 
that  still  war  against  the  purity  of  our  souls  and  the  wel- 
fare of  mankind. 

1.     The  Scarlet  Woman   (Chapter  17) 

This  chapter  ranks  in  obscurity  and  difficulty  with  chap- 
ters 9  and  12,  and  13  and  20.  There  may  be  some 
points  in  this  chapter  which  cannot  be  cleared  up  to 
our  entire  satisfaction.  Yet  it  needs  to  be  remembered  that, 
if  so,  these  are  its  subordinate  features.  The  main  outline 
and  meaning  of  the  chapter  is  plain  enough.  There  can 
be  no  question,  for  example,  that  the  scarlet  woman  is  the 
imperial  city  of  Rome.  When  the  last  bowl  has  been 
emptied,  the  judgment  of  God  upon  Rome  is  complete. 
It  remains  only  to  describe  her  fall.  This  is  done  in  chap- 
ters 17  and  18.  In  verse  18,  it  is  expressly  stated 
that  Rome  is  meant.  With  this  the  woman's  name  agrees 
(cf.  v.  5,  and  14:8),  her  position  on  the  seven  hills  (v.  9), 
the  designation  harlot,  applied  to  Jerusalem  and  Israel  (as 
well  as  to  Tyre  and  Nineveh)  in  the  Old  Testament, 
and  her  identification  with  the  beast,  which  we  have  seen 
stands  for  the  imperial  power  of  Rome.  The  author's  pur- 
pose, then,  in  this  chapter,  is  to  describe  Rome  in  her  double 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  151 

role  as  mistress  of  the  world  and  the  mother  of  harlots, 
before  her  utter  destruction  is  portrayed  in  detail  in  chap- 
ter 18. 

The  interpretation  of  the  woman  sitting  on  the  beast  is 
not  difficult  after  chapters  twelve  and  thirteen.  The  author 
is  here  using  the  same  traditional  material,  based  on  a  myth 
which  has  been  worked  over  many  times  before  it  came  to 
its  present  use.  It  goes  back,  as  we  saw,  to  the  chaos- 
dragon  of  heathen  mythology,  which  in  the  Old  Testament 
was  transferred  to  Babylon,  and  again  reshaped  in  the  Jewish 
apocalypses,  and  finally  applied  by  the  Christian  writer  to 
explain  the  present  and  future  persecution  of  the  saints. 
Rome  is  called  a  harlot  because  of  the  well-known  licentious- 
ness which  prevailed  there,  which  is  reflected  in  the  writings 
of  Paul.  The  many  waters,  as  we  learn  from  v.  15,  are 
many  peoples.  The  seven  hills  represent  the  seven  emperors 
on  whose  authority  the  city's  power  is  based.  The  names 
of  blasphemy  refer  to  the  image  or  superscription  of  the 
deified  emperor,  which  appeared  and  reappeared  a  thousand 
times,  so  that  the  city  was  "full  of  the  names";  the  heads 
and  horns  are  fixed  features  that  represent  the  power  of 
Rome  against  God,  and  the  cup  of  abomination  is  only  an- 
other expression  for  "the  sink  of  iniquity." 

There  are,  however,  two  difficulties  to  be  met  in  this 
chapter.  The  first  is  the  relation  of  the  woman  to  the  beast. 
In  verse  3,  "the  seven  heads  and  the  ten  horns  of  the  dragon 
must  represent  the  imperial  power  on  which  the  city  rests. 
But  at  the  end  of  the  chapter  (v.  16)  the  ten  horns  which 
now  appear  as  foreign  kings  are  enemies  of  the  woman  and 
bring  about  her  overthrow." *  Evidently  the  original  figure 
has  been  modified.  The  most  probable  explanation  of  this 
strange  conclusion  of  the  chapter  is  this.  As  we  saw,  in 
chapter  13,  the  beast  was  identified  (in  verses  3  and  15)  with 
one  of  Rome's  emperors,  Nero.  Further,  a  Nero  myth  arose 
after  his  death,  that  he  had  not  really  died  at  all,  and  that 

1  Porter,  p.  259ff. 


152  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

he  would  come  at  any  time  to  make  war  upon  his  enemies  in 
Rome  who  had  betrayed  him.  Later  this  mythical  Nero  was 
identified,  in  Christian  tradition,  with  Anti-Christ.  In  chap- 
ter 17,  this  identification  is  made  in  verse  11,  an  obscure 
verse  which  will  be  studied  later.  The  returning  Nero,  a 
mythical  and  semi-Satanic  being  returns,  no  longer  as  one 
of  the  heads  (kings),  but  the  beast  himself,  the  embodiment 
of  the  evil  spirit  of  the  Roman  Empire,  who  associates  with 
him  the  (ten)  nations  of  the  world  and  gives  them  power 
to  assail  with  him  the  city  of  Rome.  "It  is  not  surprising 
that  the  explanation  of  the  beast  is  enigmatical;  in  symbolic 
representation,  the  symbol  and  the  reality  are  in  the  nature 
of  the  case  often  blended.  ...  In  this  case,  the  beast  appears 
at  one  time  to  represent  a  single  person,  and  again  seven 
(or  eight)  distinct  persons  in  .  succession."  x  Always,  how- 
ever, he  is  a  person:  either  the  Roman  emperor  or  emperors 
(typifying  Rome  itself),  or  Nero,  or  Nero-Antichrist.  It  is 
often  difficult  to  understand  just  how  or  when  these  are  shaded 
into  each  other. 

The  other  difficulty  relates  to  the  chronology  of  the  kings.8 
The  seven  heads  of  the  beast,  we  are  told,  represent  seven 
emperors  (v.  10)  and  the  beast  himself  (Nero)  is  the  eighth, 
though  he  is  also  a  reincarnation  of  one  of  the  previous  seven 
(v.  11).  At  the  time  that  the  author  writes,  we  are  told  that 
five  of  these  emperors  are  dead,  one  reigns,  and  another  is 
to  follow,  whose  reign  will  be  brief.  Then  Nero-Antichrist 
will  appear  and  dominate  the  world  for  a  time  (12:6,  13:5) 
before  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  Assuming  that  the  author 
writes  in  the  time  of  Domitian,  for  which  there  is  strong 
evidence,  the  question  is  by  what  system  of  calculation  can 
it  be  said  that  but  five  emperors  have  already  reigned?  For 
whether  we  begin  with  Julius  Caesar,  or  with  Augustus,  and 
even  if  we  omit  the  three  military  rulers,  Galba,  Otho  and 

1  Beckwith,   p.    695. 

2  See  Case,  "The  Revelation  of  John,"  pp.  341ff ;  Beckwith,  704ff. 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  153 

Vitellius,  the  count  does  not  come  out  right.1  Commentators 
have  manipulated  their  mathematics  in  vain,  and  have  sug- 
gested the  incorporation  of  older  apocalyptical  material,  with- 
out the  requisite  change  in  the  figures.  It  seems  not  to  have 
occurred  to  them  that  the  prophet  might  make  a  poetical  use 
of  figures;  that  he  was  not  at  all  concerned  about  mathemati- 
cal nicety  in  computing  exact  dates,  but  was  much  concerned 
about  the  question  as  to  whether  or  not  the  deliverance  for 
which  he  looked  was  long  to  be  delayed.  Chronologists  have 
the  same  difficulty  in  Daniel  which  they  encounter  in  Revela- 
tion. In  neither  case  is  the  apocalyptist  an  historian.  In 
both  cases  he  is  a  prophet  who  tells  a  persecuted  people  that 
deliverance  is  at  hand.  Throughout  the  Book  of  Revelation 
seven  is  the  perfect  number.  Why  should  it  not  be  used  in 
this  passage  in  this  symbolic  sense?  If  seven,  then,  represents 
the  whole  period  of  Roman  domination,  the  author  says  that 
five  portionl  of  that  period  have  already  passed,  and  that 
the  seventh  'twill  be  brief  and  that  the  eighth  is  the  Nero- 
Antichrist  whose  function  it  shall  be  to  destroy  the  Roman 
Empire  and  j  himself  to  succeed  to  power  for  a  short  time. 
The  sixtlifcng)  then,  will  be  that  emperor  in  whose  time  the 
author  writes,  that  is,  in  all  probability  the  Emperor  Domi- 
tian.  The  whole  passage  is  not  a  bit  of  mathematical  calcula- 
tion, but  rather  a  bit  of  apocalyptical  symbolism. 

Chapter  17:1.  One  of  the  seven  angels  then  summoned 
me  to  see  the  fate  of  the  great  harlot  situated  on  many- 
waters.  2.  With  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  been 
implicated  in  all  manner  of  vice,  and  the  people  of  the 
earth  have  been  intoxicated  with  her  immoralities.  3.  So 
I  was  carried  away  in  the  rapture  of  the  spirit  into  a  desert 
place  where  I  saw  a  woman  sitting  on  a  scarlet  beast  which 
was  covered  all  over  with  idolatrous  titles,  and  had  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns,  the  known  marks  of  world-rulership. 
4.  The  woman  was  regally  clad  in  purple  and  scarlet,  and 
decked  with  jewels,  and  the  cup  in  her  hand  was  filled  with 
her  immoralities.  5.  Her  name  was  Babylon,  the  Mother 
of  Vice.     6.  And  I  saw  that  she  was  drunk  with  the  blood 

1  In  order,  the  emperors  were  :   Caesar,  Augustus,  Tiberius,  Caligula, 
Claudius,    Nero    (Galba,    Otho,   Vitellius),   Vespasian,   Titus,   Domitian. 


154  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

of  the  martyrs  who  had  died  for  Jesus'  sake.  And  I  mar- 
velled as  I  beheld  her.  7.  And  the  angel  told  me  not  to 
wonder,  for  he  would  explain  to  me  the  hidden  meaning  of 
the  woman  on  the  seven-headed  beast.  8.  The  beast,  he 
said,  once  was  but  no  longer  is,  upon  earth.  It  will  soon 
ascend  from  the  abyss,  yet  to  perdition  it  shall  go,  and 
all  people  on  earth  except  those  who  are  Christ's  shall 
wonder  as  they  look  upon  the  beast  that  comes  again  after 
having  existed  once  and  then  having  disappeared.  9.  Here 
is  the  interpretation  of  a  truly  discerning  mind.  The 
seven  heads  suggest  the  seven  hills  of  Eome.  10.  And 
these  in  turn  stand  for  seven  kings,  of  which  five  have 
passed  away,  one  is  now  ruling  and  the  seventh  will  follow, 
whose  reign  will  be  brief.  11.  Then  the  beast  will  come 
whom  we  will  reckon  as  the  eighth  although  really  he  is  but 
a  reincarnation  of  one  of  the  seven,  and  he  is  destined  for 
destruction.  12.  The  ten  horns  also  are  ten  kings  although 
they  have  no  royal  power  as  yet,  but  get  their  authority 
for  the  brief  time  only  in  which  they  are  associated  with 
the  beast.  13.  They  have  a  common  aim  with  the  beast 
to  whom  they  give  their  allegiance.  14.  These  are  they  who 
shall  make  war  against  the  Lamb  and  be  vanquished  by 
Him,  because  the  Lamb  is  supreme  and  his  followers  are 
faithful.  15.  The  waters  on  which  the  woman  sits  stand 
for  all  nations.  16.  And  the  ten  horns  are  the  kings  who 
in  alliance  with  the  beast  shall  turn  against  the  harlot 
Eome  and  utterly  destroy  her.  17.  For  God  made  these 
kings  and  the  nations  which  they  represent  to  have  one 
mind  in  the  matter  and  to  surrender  their  rulership  to  the 
beast  until  the  decrees  of  God  are  fulfilled.  18.  As  for  the 
woman,  you  have  seen  that  she  is  that  great  city  which  reigns 
over  the  kings  of  the  earth. 

Notes  v.  1  It  is  appropriate  that  one  of  the  angels  that 
had  the  bowls  should  make  this  announcement  since  what  fol- 
lows is  an  elaboration  of  the  vision  of  the  seven  bowls.  Harlot, 
(see  Isa.  1:21;  Ezek.  16:15;  Hos.  2:4).  Upon  waters,  cf. 
French,  "Sur  mer,"  and  see  Jer.  51:13.  v.  2  So  Tyre  and 
Nineveh.  (Isa.  23:17;  Jer.  51:7;  Nah.  3:4;  Rev.  14:8.) 
v.  3  Scarlet,  not  referring  to  the  blood  of  martyrs,  but  a 
sign  of  might.  Names  of  blasphemy,  see  on  13:1.  v.  4  The 
imagery  may  be  suggested  by  Jer.  51:7.  v.  5  This  may  refer 
to  a  similar  custom  among  Roman  courtesans,  who  wore  head- 
bands indicating  their  character.  Mystery,  i.e.,  something  hid- 
den.     Suggested   by   the   "mysteries"    of   Greek    and   Roman 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  155 

religions,  (cf.  I.  Tim.  3:9,  16.)  The  name  is  to  be  under- 
stood mystically,  v.  6  Here  the  sin  of  Rome  reaches  its 
climax.  For  the  phrase,  cf.  Isa.  34:7,  49:26.  Martyrs,  or 
better  translated,  witnesses,  or  those  whose  testimony  may 
be  relied  on.  It  is  not  certain  that  the  word  means  martyr 
in  the  New  Testament,  although  it  occurs  (2:13,  17:6;  Acts 
22:20)  in  cases  where  steadfastness  led  to  death,  v.  7  The 
mystery  which  the  angel  explains  includes  not  only  the  woman 
and  the  beast,  but  the  whole  of  the  following  chapters,  i.  e., 
the  doom  of  Rome.  v.  8  See  on  chapter  13,  vv.  3,  8.  v.  9 
See  chapter  13:18.  For  mountain,  in  the  sense  of  hill,  see 
Matt.  5:1,  15:29;  John  6:15.  w.  10-11  cf.  introduction  to 
chapter  13  and  to  this  section.  For  fallen  in  the  sense  of 
die,  cf.  II  Sam.  3:38.  Goeth.  into  perdition,  the  destruction 
of  evil  is  insisted  upon  everywhere  in  the  book.  vv.  12,  13 
One  hour,  i.e.,  a  short  time.  Ten  horns,  derived  directly 
from  Dan.  7:7,  24,  although  differently  applied.  There  they 
stand  for  a  series  of  kings  in  the  last  world-empire  (repre- 
sented in  this  passage  by  the  seven  heads).  Here  they 
symbolize  not  Roman  rulers  but  kings,  who  receive  their 
power  from  Nero -Antichrist  to  war  against  Rome.  The 
number  ten  symbolizes  the  completeness  of  all  earthly  nations 
subservient  to  Anti-Christ.  V.  14  is  a  rhetorical  parenthesis 
anticipating,  as  frequently  in  this  book,  the  final  outcome. 
Note  once  more  the  frequent  ascription  to  Christ  of  titles 
belonging  to  God,  (cf.  Deut.  10:17;  Ps.  136:3;  Dan.  2:47, 
11:36).  Those  that  are  with  him.  The  reading  of  the  Re- 
vised Version  is  correct.  The  saints  belong  to  the  overcoming 
army  of  Christ  (although  not  mentioned  in  19  :llff )  :  "Those 
with  him  shall  conquer  because  they  are  elect  and  called  and 
faithful."  v.  15  For  waters  as  symbol  of  peoples,  cf.  Isa. 
8:7;  Jer.  47:2.  v.  16  (cf.  Ps.  27:2;  Jer.  10:25;  Mic.  3:3; 
Zeph.  3:3).  Chapter  18  is  an  amplification  of  this  verse, 
v.  17  Will,  better  translated  mind  in  the  revised  Version,  and 
refers  to  God  and  not  to  the  beast.  The  nations  are  to  re- 
main   subject    to    the    beast,    until    the    final    battle    is    won 


156  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

(19:19ff).  Rome's  destruction  by  the  beast  refers  to  civil 
war  as  an  agent  of  God  for  the  destruction  of  his  enemies  (cf. 
Ezek.  38:21;  Hag.  2:22;  Zech.  14:13.  cf.  also  Dan.  7:8,  24ff.). 
See  also  II  Thess.  2:3-8  for  a  description  of  the  current 
Christian  conception  of  the  destruction  to  be  wrought  by 
Anti-Christ. 


2.     The  Fall  of  Rome  (Chapters  18,  19:1-5) 

In  this  section  we  have  a  description  in  plain  prophetic 
language  of  the  downfall  of  Rome.  Here  are  no  cryptic 
figures  of  speech,  no  hidden  allusions,  no  obscure  passages. 
It  is  a  clear,  consistent  and  eloquent  account  of  the  terrible  and 
final  overthrow  of  the  great  Imperial  City.  With  its  close, 
Rome  as  the  agent  of  Satan  vanishes  forever  from  the  scene. 
The  ruin  of  Rome  is  announced  in  seven  distinct  utterances. 
First,  an  angel  proclaims  the  certainty  of  her  downfall  (w. 
1-3).  Next,  a  voice  from  heaven  warns  God's  people  to  flee 
from  her  allurements  and  from  the  sure  judgment  which  is 
about  to  befall  her  (vv.  4-5).  Again,  the  same  voice  calls  down 
vengeance  upon  her  because  of  her  continued  sin  (w.  6-8). 
Then,  the  prophet  describes  the  lament  which  the  kings  of 
the  earth  will  utter  when  they  behold  her  destruction  (vv. 
9-19).  In  startling  contrast  to  this,  the  rejoicing  of  God's  ser- 
vants are  invoked,  because  of  his  vengeance  upon  their  enemy 
(v.  20).  Then,  Rome's  disappearance  is  typified  in  a  great  mill- 
stone which  a  strong  angel  hurls  into  the  sea  (w.  21-24). 
Finally,  the  work  is  ended  and  a  loud  chorus  in  heaven  cele- 
brates the  completion  of  God's  righteous  judgment   (19:1-5). 

The  model  for  this  description  of  the  destruction  of  Rome 
was  naturally  similar  passages  from  the  Old  Testament  in 
which  the  prophets  describe  the  downfall  of  ancient  pagan 
cities.  Readers  will  refer  to  such  passages  as  Isa.  13:19-22, 
21:9,  34:8-15;  Jer.  51:8,  31-58;  Ezek.  chapters  27ff.  The 
Babylon  of  the  author's  time  was  not  dissimilar  to  the  ancient 
Babylon     which    aroused     the    indignant    invective    of    the 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  157 

prophets  of  the  Old  Testament.  George  Adam  Smith  thus 
describes  the  place  which  Babylon  occupies  in  Scripture: 
"Throughout  the  extent  of  Bible  history  from  Genesis  to 
Revelation  one  city  remains  which  in  fact  and  symbol  is 
execrated  as  the  enemy  of  God  and  the  stronghold  of  evil. 
In  Genesis  we  are  called  to  see  its  foundation  as  of  the  first 
city  that  wandering  men  established  and  the  quick  ruin  which 
fell  upon  its  impious  builders.  By  the  prophets  we  hear  it 
cursed  as  the  oppressor  of  God's  people,  the  temptress  of 
nations,  full  of  cruelty  and  wantonness.  In  the  New  Testa- 
ment, its  character  and  curse  are  transferred  to  Rome,  and 
New  Babylon  stands  over  against  New  Jerusalem.  Babylon 
is  the  atheist  of  the  Old  Testament  as  she  is  the  Anti-Christ 
of  the  New.  Her  haughtiness  and  secure  pride  are  the  fruit 
of  an  atheistic  self-sufficiency.  'I  am,  and  there  is  none  be- 
sides me.  I  shall  not  sit  as  a  widow;  neither  shall  I  know 
the  loss  of  children'  are  the  words  which  the  prophet  puts 
upon  the  lips  of  the  city.  The  same  spirit  inspires  the  new 
Babylon  of  the  Apocalypse,  'She  saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a 
queen  and  am  no  widow  and  shall  in  no  sense  see  mourning.' " ' 
Parallel  to  the  doom  pronounced  upon  ancient  Babylon  is 
the  judgment  visited  here  upon  Rome.  It  is  the  last  ap- 
pearance of  Babylon  in  Scripture. 

Once  more,  we  must  render  account  of  the  inspired  faith 
of  the  prophet  which,  in  a  day  when  Rome  was  apparently 
secure  and  its  ruin  was  by  no  means  imminent,  could  not 
only  clearly  see  but  could  also  exult  in  the  downfall  of  the 
city  as  if  it  were  something  which  already  had  taken  place. 
Centuries  were  to  pass  before  this  prophecy  was  literally 
fulfilled;  but  so  sure  of  it  is  the  prophet  that  he  can  cast 
it  all  in  the  present  tense,  and  can  call  upon  the  servants  of 
God  to  endure,  as  if  they,  as  well  as  he,  could  see  with  their 
own  eyes  the  picture  of  the  desolation  of  the  city  of  the 
Caesars. 

Once  more  we  need  to  remind  ourselves  of  the  eternal 
'Isa.  II,  p.  188ff.     Quoted  in  Scott,  p.  275. 


158  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

message  of  this  dirge  over  Rome  which  runs  like  a  solemn 
refrain  all  through  the  book  and  here  rises  to  sublime  heights 
of  inspired  eloquence.  For  Babylon  never  dies,  until  Satan 
himself  is  destroyed.  As  long  as  evil  remains,  it  will  be 
incorporated  on  earth  in  some  visible  embodiment  of  its 
power.  The  conscience  of  the  Christian  church  will  always 
confront  some  Babylon.  If  it  accepts  the  message  of  Revela- 
tion, it  will  confront  its  Babylon  in  the  exalted  mood  of  this 
chapter.  What  a  wonderful  repetition  of  it  we  have  witnessed 
in  our  day!  No  one  will  be  able  to  read  this  book  for  years 
to  come  without  thinking  of  the  utter  desolation  of  that  great, 
proud  empire  which  only  a  few  years  since  stood  like  a 
monster  with  drawn  sword  above  Europe  while  all  who  beheld 
it  said:  "Who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him"?"  Once  more 
and  in  no  less  terrible  fashion  than  in  the  ancient  days  the 
judgment  of  God  has  been  visited  upon  the  embodiment  in 
history  of  the  principle  of  evil.  No  one  imagines  that  the 
process  will  end  here.  The  New  Babylon  will  continue  to 
rise  from  the  ashes  of  the  old  until  He  hath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet.  Whenever  the  faith  of  men  is  tried;  when- 
ever their  courage  is  put  to  the  test;  whenever  arrogant  evil 
seems  to  mock  the  good  and  to  flourish  its  triumph  in  the 
face  of  righteousness,  this  chapter  will  constitute  the  ground 
of  the  Social  Hope  of  Christians.  With  the  faith  of  this 
seer,  they  will  confront  each  new  manifestation  of  evil  and 
utter  this  prophetic  dirge  over  it,  "Babylon  the  great  is  fallen, 
is  fallen." 

Chapter  18:1.  Afterwards  I  saw  come  down  from  heaven 
another  great  and  powerful  angel  whose  brightness  lit  up 
the  earth.  2.  And  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  saying,  The 
mighty  Babylon  is  fallen,  and  now  she  is  but  the  haunt  of 
demons,  the  den  of  all  foul  spirits,  the  cage  of  every  un- 
clean and  loathsome  bird.  3.  For  all  nations  have  par- 
ticipated in  her  vice,  and  all  rulers  have  been  corrupted 
by  her,  and  profiteers  have  grown  rich  through  her  ill- 
gotten  spoils.  4,  5.  And  I  heard  another  voice  bidding  God's 
people  to  leave  her  so  as  not  to  share  in  her  heaped-up 
sins   and   in    the   punishment  which   God  will  not  forget  to 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  159 

inflict.     6.  Yea,   may   she  receive  what   she   has   meted  out 
to  others,  only  in  double-measure,   a  double   draught  of  her 
own  medicine.     7.  Let  her  misery  be  as  great  as  the  parade 
of  her  glory  and  luxury.     She  imagines  that  she  is  secure 
and  happy  as  a  queen.     8.  But  in  a  day's  time  lamentation 
and  death  shall  come  upon  her  and  she  shall  be  burned  with 
fire,    for   strong   is    the   God   who   judges    her.      9.  And   the 
rulers   who    lived   in    luxury    and    sin    because    of   her   shall 
weep  over  her  destruction  as  they  see  her  burn.     10.  Stand- 
ing at  a  distance,  afraid  of  the  conflagration,  they  cry  out 
in  sorrow,  saying,  Alas,  for  the  great  city  whose  doom  has 
come   in   one   brief   hour.      11.  And   merchants   mourned   the 
loss  of  her  trade,  12,  13.  in  all  manner  of  luxuries  and  food- 
stuffs and  cattle  and  of  the  traffic  in  slaves  and  the  souls 
of   men.      14.  And   vanished   are    the    accumulations    of    thy 
soul's   desire,   all   thy  pretty   adornments   have   gone,   never 
to   be   recovered.      15,    16,   17.   The   traders   in   these   wares,   I 
say,  mourned  over  the   city  that  was   once   so  rich   and  in 
an    hour    has    lost    all    her    wealth.      And    sea-captains    and 
sailors  likewise  18.  bewailed  the  destruction  of  the  city  as 
they   beheld   its   burning   from   afar,    19.    and   lamented   the 
loss  of  the  city  whose  trade  had  made  them  rich.     20.  But 
let  heaven   and  all  its   saints   gloat   over  her,  because  God 
hath  avenged  you  on  her.     21.  Then   a  strong  angel  lifted 
a  huge  boulder,  and  flung  it  into  the  sea,  saying,  Thus  shall 
Babylon  be  hurled  into  the  depths  never  to  be  seen  again, 
22.  and  no  more  music  shall  be  heard  there,  and  no  crafts- 
men  shall   toil   there,   and   the    hum   of   labor   shall  not   be 
heard,  23.  and  there  will  be  no  light,  nor  voice  of  merry- 
makers, for  though  the  magnates  of  the  earth  traded  with 
thee,   thou   didst   corrupt  the  nations,   24.   and  she  was  the 
great  slayer  of  prophets  and  saints.    Chapter  19 : 1.    After  that 
I  heard  a  sound  like  the  shout  of  a  great  host  ascribing  praise 
to  God,   2.  because   of  his  just   judgment  of  Rome  for  her 
corruption   and  persecution  of  his  servants.     3.  Again  they 
repeated  their  Halleluia  as  the  smoke  of  the  city  continued 
perpetually  to  ascend.     4.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
and  the  four  living  creatures  joined  in  the  chorus  of  praise. 
5.  And  in  response  to  a  heavenly  command,  all  the  people 
of  God  join  in  a  mighty  Halleluia. 

Notes  18:1  Power  This  may  mean  either  having  great  au- 
thority (so  R.  V.)  or  power  to  utter  his  message  so  that 
all  might  hear  it.  For  the  last  clause  of  the  verse,  see  Ezek. 
43:2.  v.  2  For  this  description,  cf.  Isa.  13:19-22,  34:11-15; 
Jer.  50 :39,  51 :37 ;  Zeph.  2 :15.  v.  3  It  is  probably  a  mistake 
to  find  in  this  verse  and  chapter  proof  of  the  ascetic  ten- 


160  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  BEVELATION 

dencies  of  the  author.  It  is  not  the  possession  of  wealth 
against  which  he  inveighs,  but  its  abuse.  Thus,  the  word 
"abundance"  (A.  V.)  should  be  translated  "power"  (i.e., 
arrogant  luxuriousness).  v.  4  (See  Jer.  50:8,  51:6,  45;  Isa. 
48:20,  52:11.)  v.  5  (Jer.  51:9;  Ezra  9:6.)  v.  6  (Jer.  50:15, 
29,  51:24,  56;  Ps.  137:8;  Isa.  40:2;  Jer.  16:18,  17:18.)  v.  7 
(Isa.  47:7-9;  Jer.  50:29).  The  hatred  expressed  in  this 
chapter,  as  throughout  in  the  Bible,  is  neither  personal  nor 
racial  but  is  moral  hatred  directed  against  the  evil  of 
which,  in  the  Old  Testament  the  pagan  nations,  and  in 
the  present  passage  Rome,  are  the  visible  embodiment.  In 
this  sense  the  motive  is  essentially  and  fundamentally  Chris- 
tian. It  would  be  in  the  interest  of  Christianity  to-day  that 
we  should  recover  some  of  its  robustness  and  directness,  v.  9 
(cf.  Ezek.  26:16,  18,  27:5,  28-36.)  v.  10  (Isa.  34:10;  Ezek. 
28:18.)  w.  12-14.  The  list  here  is  in  imitation  of  Ezek.  27:5- 
24  (cf.  Ezek.  16:9-13).  The  author's  fondness  for  the  number 
seven,  in  groups  of  three  and  four,  can  be  detected  in  this 
enumeration.  The  merchants  lament  not  only  the  loss  of 
trade,  but  the  waste  of  the  articles  themselves,  v.  17  Perhaps 
suggested  by  Ezek.  27:29,  32.  (See  Ps.  107:23.)  v.  20 
Illustrates  the  author's  fondness  for  parenthesis  and  con- 
trast, as  throughout  the  book.  v.  21  Suggested  by  Jer.  51 :63 ; 
Neh.  9:11.  v.  22  (cf.  Jer.  25:10;  Isa.  24:8;  Jer.  7:34,  16:9; 
Ezek.  26:13.)  The  abrupt  changes  from  the  second  to  the 
third  person  (cf.  vv.  14,  15)  are  a  common  occurrence  in 
the  Old  Testament,  (cf.  Ps.  52:4-6,  62:1-4,  81:10-12;  Ezek. 
32:11-12;  Amos  6:3-7.)  Chapter  19:1-5  This  passage  plainly 
belongs  to  what  precedes  rather  than  to  what  follows.  It 
looks  backward  and  not  forward.  In  verse  6,  however,  the 
new  subject  is  introduced,  v.  3  (cf.  Isa.  34:10.)  w.  4,  5  Com- 
bine Pss.  134:1  and  115:13. 

3.     The  Victory  of  Christ  over  the  Beast   (Chapter  19:6-21) 

We  have  seen  how  it  is  the  author's  method  to  set  over 
against  the  dark  picture  of  evil  on  earth  the  glowing  descrip- 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  161 

tion  of  the  joy,  the  triumph  and  the  praise  of  "the  heavenly 
host."  And  it  is  in  proportion  as  we  imitate  the  practice  of 
this  inspired  book  that  we  shall  share  in  its  hope  and  catch 
the  spirit  of  its  immortal  courage.  It  is  as  we  think  of 
ourselves  as  "encompassed  about"  with  a  great  cloud  of 
faithful  and  triumphant  witnesses  that  we  shall  receive 
strength  to  run  the  race  which  is  set  before  us.  The  vision 
of  them  keeps  breaking  over  the  mind  of  our  writer  and  the 
sound  of  their  music  penetrates  his  heart.  This  fact  con- 
stitutes an  imperishable  part  of  the  social  message  of  the 
book.  There  is  no  separation  between  the  church  militant 
and  the  church  triumphant.  The  struggle  on  earth  is  watched 
with  breathless  interest  by  the  redeemed;  and  the  strugglers 
on  earth  are  sustained  by  the  presence  of  those  who  have 
already  come  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  in  a  real  sense  are 
fighting  the  battle  with  them  and  for  them. 

The  first  outbreak  of  this  heavenly  music,  as  we  have  seen, 
looks  backward  and  celebrates  the  downfall  of  Rome.  But 
with  verse  6  there  comes  a  change.  Rome  is  done  for,  her 
dirge  has  been  sung,  the  forces  of  evil  that  lie  behind  Rome 
must  next  be  dealt  with.  So  we  have  first  this  hymn  in 
anticipation  of  the  approaching  triumph  of  Christ  and  his 
saints  over  the  beast,  the  Anti-Christ.  This  chorus  is  sung 
in  verses  6  to  9.  It  looks  forward  to  what  is  about  to  happen. 
The  relation  of  God  to  his  people  and  of  Christ  to  his  ser- 
vants in  the  figure  of  marriage  is  so  common  both  in  the 
Old  Testament  and  in  the  New,  and  it  has  interwoven  itself 
so  intimately  in  the  language  of  Christian  devotion  that  it 
requires  no  comment  for  its  understanding  and  appreciation. 
Over  against  the  faithless  harlot  is  placed  the  shining  figure 
of  the  faithful  bride  of  Christ.  The  bride  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  variously  interpreted  as  the  individual,  the  church, 
and,  in  the  closing  chapter  of  this  book,  the  whole  beloved 
community,  the  New  Jerusalem.  Just  as  Jerusalem  and  the 
people  of  God  are  closely  identified  in  the  Old  Testament,  so 
in  the  apocalyptist's  vision  of  the  renewed  world,  the  figure 


I 


K 


162  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

designating  those  who  compose  the  community  is  easily  trans- 
ferred to  the  community  itself.  In  using  this  intimate  lan- 
guage to  describe  the  final  union  of  Christ  and  his  church,  the 
author  is,  as  every  reader  of  the  Gospel  knows,  but  reproducing 
the  very  mind  of  Christ  Himself. 

Verses  9  and  10  furnish  a  sort  of  transition  to  what  is  to 
follow.  Precisely  as  the  angel  in  chapter  10  (v.  5:61:.)  gave  a 
solemn  assurance  of  the  outcome  before  the  trumpets  were 
sounded,  so  here  we  have  a  promise  of  victory  before  the 
last  great  battle  is  joined;  and  in  verse  10  we  find  the  prophet 
overwhelmed  by  the  vision  of  the  redeemd  and  filled  with  awe 
at  the  thought  of  the  impending  shock  of  the  conflict  between 
Christ  and  Satan. 

The  passage  from  verse  10  to  verse  17  gives  us  an  im- 
mortal picture  of  the  conquering  Christ.  As  we  have  already 
noted,  this  description  of  Christ  as  a  warrior  is  an  important 
and  much-needed  supplement  to  the  picture  of  the  meek 
and  lowly  Jesus  as  found  in  the  Gospels.  A  great  deal  of 
incredulity  which  is  felt,  even  if  unexpressed,  concerning  the 
adequacy  of  the  Christian  ideal  to  the  needs  of  the  world  as 
it  is,  centers  at  this  point.  The  gentle  and  compassionate 
Christ  appears  as  an  inadequate  ideal  and  influence  in  the 
midst  of  the  blood  and  iron  of  this  actual  world  of  history 
and  events.  So  also  does  the  Christ  of  suffering  and  sacrifice. 
"It  is  not  a  suffering  but  a  militant  leader,  we  are  told,  to 
whom  men  must  look  for  their  salvation.  It  is  not  by  suffer- 
ing that  God  conquers  death  but  by  fighting.  There  may  be 
sufferings,  but  they  do  not  of  themselves  bring  victory.  The 
symbol  of  the  crucifix  jars  on  our  spirit.  We  cannot  accept 
the  Christian  crucifix  and  pray  to  a  pitiful  God." '  Mr.  Wells, 
and  they  who  feel  like  him,  have  but  to  turn  to  this  passage 
of  the  book  to  find  a  conception  of  Christ  entirely  adequate 
to  their  ideas  of  a  militant  and  conquering  leader.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  this  picture  reproduces  the  masterful  Christ 
of  the  Gospels  too   often  overlooked  by  those  who  trust  to 

3  H.   G.   Wells,    God,    the   Invisible   King,   pp.    100-102. 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  163 

tradition  for  their  conception  of  Him  rather  than  to  the 
narratives  of  the  Gospels  themselves  which  give  us  many  a 
glimpse  of  his  heroic  qualities,  and  to  the  idea  of  Him  to  be 
found  in  the  Epistles,  where  He  is  described  again  and  again 
as  the  Captain  of  our  Salvation,  putting  all  things  under  his 
feet  and  conquering  every  foe.  Indeed,  this  passage  in  the 
Book  of  Revelation  gives  us  precisely  that  foundation  for 
the  Social  Hope  to  which,  by  the  effort  of  their  own  minds, 
unaided  by  revelation,  these  earnest  thinkers  themselves  have 
arrived.  Not  only  does  it  give  us  the  picture  of  a  champion 
riding  forth  to  challenge  the  enemy  of  mankind,  but  it  invests 
Him  with  the  titles  and  prerogatives  of  God  Himself.  Nothing 
short  of  this  will  answer.  He  must  be  King  of  Kings  and 
Lord  of  Lords.  He  must  indeed  be  the  invisible  King,  and 
such  the  prophet  proclaims  Him  to  be.  This  conception  of 
itself  spells  ultimate  moral  victory. 

The  final  passage  of  the  chapter  (verses  17  to  22)  an- 
nounces the  final  overthrow  of  the  principles  of  evil  of  which 
Rome  was  the  immediate,  visible  and  temporary  manifesta- 
tion. The  struggle  itself  is  not  described  in  any  detail.  Christ 
and  Anti-Christ  come  finally  face  to  face  (verse  19) ;  all  is 
over.  Victory  happens  infallibly,  inevitably,  automatically. 
The  beast  himself,  and  the  false  prophet,  the  priests  of  the 
pagan  cultus,  are  sent  headlong  into  the  brimstone  lake.  Not 
only  is  Rome  done  for,  but  the  Anti-Christ,  the  evil  genius  of 
Rome,  is  destroyed.  We  have  the  completion  of  the  old  myth 
found  in  chapter  12,  where  we  might  have  looked  for  an  ac- 
count of  the  victory  of  the  Messiah  after  he  had  grown  to 
manhood.  What  is  more,  we  have  the  completion  of  the 
prophet's  idea,  which  is  that  evil  itself,  and  not  merely  a 
temporary  manifestation  of  it,  is  destined  to  be  destroyed. 
This  is  the  root  of  the  message  of  the  book. 

Let  us  understand  this,  and  the  terrible  vindictiveness  of 
this  language  can  give  us  no  offense.  Without  doubt  the  spirit 
is  revengeful,  but  so  ought  the  spirit  of  a  true  soul  to  be 
against  evil.    "Ye  that  love  the  Lord,  hate  evil."     (Ps.  97:10.) 


N 


164  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Remorseless  hatred  of  evil  is  a  sign  of  sainthood.  The  blood- 
thirsty language  is  doubtless  drawn  from  Jewish  sources  and 
is  not  tuned  to  our  Christian  consciousness.  But  it  must  be 
remembered  that  to  be  Christian  is  not  to  be  tolerant  in  the 
face  of  wrong  or  to  acquiesce  meekly  in  the  presence  or  con- 
tinuance of  unrighteousness.  It  may  offend  our  taste  to  think 
of  such  a  supper  of  God,  but  the  idea  underlying  it  is  es- 
sentially, if  terribly,  true.  It  needs  to  be  remembered  that 
the  language  is  always  figurative  describing  only  the  consum- 
ing wrath  of  God. 

Chapter  19:  6.  And  I  heard  a  confused  rumbling  and 
roaring  of  the  voice  of  multitudes  ascribing  praise  to  God. 
7,  8.  Let  us  hail  Him  and  be  glad,  for  the  hour  set  for  the 
marriage  banquet  of  the  Lamb  has  arrived  and  the  bride 
herself  is  arrayed  and  ready.  9.  And  the  angel  told  me 
of  the  blessedness  of  those  invited  to  this  marriage  feast, 
and  that  these  are  the  genuine  words  of  God.  10.  And 
when  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship  him,  he  said,  No;  for 
I  am  but  a  fellow-servant  with  you  and  your  brothers  who 
are  witnesses  of  Jesus.  God  only  is  to  be  worshipped.  And 
this  witness  of  Jesus  is  the  very  breath  of  prophecy.  11. 
And  out  of  the  opened  heavens  I  saw  a  heavenly  rider, 
named  Faithful  and  True,  on  a  white  horse,  and  his  judg- 
ments are  just  and  his  warfare  is  righteous.  12.  His  eyes 
blazed  like  fire,  and  he  wore  many  crowns,  and  he  had 
a  mysterious  name  known  only  to  Himself.  13.  His  garment 
was  blood-red,  and  "The  Word  of  God"  is  his  name.  14. 
And  troops  of  heavenly  cavalry  in  white  followed  Him. 
15.  Out  of  his  mouth  came  words  sharp  as  a  sword  with 
which  to  smite  the  nations,  and  He  shall  rule  them  with  an 
iron  hand  and  execute  the  wrath  of  God,  16.  for  He  bears 
the  name  King  of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords.  17,  18.  And 
an  angel  in  the  sun  summoned  the  vultures  to  assemble  for 
the  carrion-feast  of  the  bodies  of  kings  and  captains,  and 
horses  and  slaves,  and  high  and  low.  19.  And  then  I 
saw  the  beast  and  his  armies  in  battle  array  against  Christ 
and  his  host.  20.  And  the  beast  was  captured  and  the 
false  prophet  that  deceived  the  people  and  caused  them  to 
worship  the  image  of  the  emperor;  and  both  of  them  were 
cast  headlong  into  the  brimstone  lake,  21.  while  the  rest 
were  slain  with  the  sword,  and  the  birds  were  glutted  with 
their  flesh. 

Notes  v.  7  (See  Isa.  54:1-6;  Jer.  31:32;  Ezek.  16:8;  Matt. 
25:1-10;    Eph.   5:32.)      v.    8   Righteousness   means   righteous 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  165 

conduct,  purity,  v.  10  This  verse  (as  well  as  the  last  clause  in 
verse  8)  is  regarded  as  an  interpolation  by  many  scholars.  It 
is  duplicated  in  22:8,  9.  If  the  prophet  were  forbidden  to 
worship  the  angel  here,  it  is  hard  to  see  why  he  should  do  so 
there.  The  last  clause  of  v.  10  is  obscure.  The  work  of 
testifying  to  Jesus,  is  the  spirit  of  Jesus  at  work  in  the  Chris- 
tian; and  this  is  the  inspiration  of  those  who  prophesy  for 
Him  (see  I  Pet.  1:11;  I  Cor.  12:10;  II  Pet.  1:21).  Thus 
the  angel  and  the  prophet  are  fellow-servants  of  Christ. 
V.  llff  Some  of  the  features  of  the  Messiah  may  have  been 
suggested  by  the  young  sun-god  of  the  early  myths.  Others 
are  taken  from  Isa.  63:1-6  and  Isa.  11:1-5.  v.  12  The  idea 
of  a  secret  name  has  been  discussed  in  2:17.  There  was  a 
current  belief  in  the  marvelous  power  of  such  a  name.  See 
Ecclesiasticus  47:18  and  the  Prayer  of  Manassas  3.  Many 
crowns  signify  universal  rulership.  The  Word  of  G-od  doubt- 
less refers  to  the  Logos  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  but  it  has  little 
relation  to  it  and  is  here  used  in  a  different  sense.  This  is 
probably  not  a  later  attempt  to  decide  what  the  secret  name 
was.  It  is  an  addition  to  that  idea.  Dipped  in  blood,  i.  e. 
of  his  enemies.  (See  Isa.  63:1.)  There  is  here  no  reference 
to  the  Cross,  v.  15  (See  Isa.  11:4;  II  Esdras  13:9-11,  27-38.) 
w.  17,  18  (See  Ezek.  39:17-20.) 

4.     The  Destruction  of  Satan  (Chapters  20:1-10) 

Rome  has  fallen.  The  beast  and  the  false  prophet  who 
were  the  incarnation  of  the  wickedness  and  pagan  idolatries  £\^ 
of  Rome  have  been  captured  and  destroyed.  It  remains  to 
reckon  with  Satan  himself,  who  is  back  of  Rome  (chapter  12), 
and  from  whom  the  beast  has  received  his  authority  (chapter 
13:2).  Not  until  Satan  himself  has  been  destroyed  will 
victory  be  complete.  This  thoroughgoing  vindication  of  \  | 
righteousness  constitutes  the  moral  greatness  of  this  book. 
The  author  carries  the  conflict  back  from  temporary  mani- 
festations of  evil  to  its  ultimate  sources  and  roots.    Root  and 


166  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

branch,  evil  is  to  be  destroyed.  Chapter  20,  one  of  the  most 
important  and  difficult  and  fateful  chapters  of  Revelation, 
has  this  for  its  essential  theme:  the  overthrow  of  Satan  him- 
self, the  author  and  source  of  all  evil. 

Let  the  reader  understand  this  fact,  and  the  place  which 
the  chapter  thus  occupies  in  the  thought  of  the  author  and  in 
the  development  of  his  theme,  and  there  will  not  be  confusion 
in  its  interpretation.  The  one  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to 
describe  the  destruction  of  Satan  and  the  deliverance  and 
reward  of  those  who  have  opposed  him  at  the  risk  and  cost 
of  their  lives,  precisely  as  the  purpose  of  chapter  18  was  to 
describe  the  downfall  of  Rome,  and  of  chapter  19  the  over- 
throw of  the  beast. 

In  the  treatment  of  his  subject,  the  author  uses  three  dif- 
ferent sets  of  material.  First,  he  employs  the  old  myths  which 
we  found  wrought  into  the  fabric  of  chapter  12.  Next,  he 
uses  familiar  Old  Testament  and  later  Jewish  traditions  with 
regard  to  the  Messianic  kingdom  which  all  Jews  expected 
would  be  set  up  on  earth.  Finally,  there  are  ideas  of  his 
own,  which  are  not  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  Bible.  These 
three  sets  of  material  are  all  arranged  and  governed  by  the 
single  idea  which  the  author  holds  before  him  in  this  chapter: 
"the  destruction  of  that  old  serpent  which  is  the  Devil,"  and 
the  deliverance  and  reward  of  the  witnesses  of  Jesus. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  the  author  goes  back  to  the  old 
myths.  We  should  expect  this,  since  the  author  has  already 
shown  in  chapter  12  that  in  dealing  with  the  aboriginal 
sources  of  evil,  he  bases  his  description  upon  ideas  common 
to  all  mythologies.  The  notion  that  evil  powers  are  under 
the  earth  probably  goes  back  for  its  origin  to  earthquakes 
and  volcanoes;  or,  back  of  that,  to  the  binding  of  the  chaos 
dragon,  which  signified  the  setting  of  fixed  bounds  to  the 
waters,  "so  that  the  earth  can  be  freed  from  its  ravages  and 
can  produce  life." *  This  idea,  reproduced  in  one  form  and 
another  in  different  mythologies,  found  its  way  without  doubt 

1  See  Porter,  p.  276. 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  167 

into  Jewish  apocalypses,  and  was  made  use  of  in  this  book. 
Only  here,  the  binding  of  the  dragon  takes  place  "not  at  or 
near  the  creation  of  the  world,"  but  at  the  re-creation  of  the 
world,  the  setting  up  of  God's  kingdom  on  earth.  Thus  the 
author  turns  the  old  myth  to  his  own  use. 

In  the  old  mythologies  we  also  have  the  idea  that  the  dragon 
was  bound,  breaks  loose  again  for  a  time,  but  subsequently  is 
retaken  and  destroyed.  In  the  Persian  mythology  the  dragon 
Azhi  Dahaka  is  conquered  and  kept  bound  for  a  period  but 
afterwards  becomes  free  again  and  is  slain.1  This  idea  is 
reflected,  if  it  is  not  reproduced,  in  certain  Bible  passages. 
A  second  conflict  with  heathen  powers  is  found  in  Ezek.  38 :39. 
(cf.  also  Isa.  24:21;  II  Pet.  2:4;  Jude  v.  6;  Thess.  2:7-8.) 
Our  author  is  simply  utilizing  old  mythical  ideas  for  his  own 
special  purpose,  which  is  to  affirm  the  final  destruction  of 
Satan. 

In  addition  to  this  mythical  material,  the  author  uses,  also, 
the  familiar  Jewish  traditions  about  the  coming  of  the 
Messianic  age.  All  readers  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets 
know  that  they  expected  and  foretold  the  setting  up  on  earth 
of  an  ideal  kingdom  in  which  the  unity  and  splendor  of  the 
reign  of  David  should  be  reproduced  with  the  Messiah  as  its 
ruler.  As  time  passed,  however,  and  this  kingdom  was  not 
realized  on  earth,  there  was  a  tendency  to  idealize,  even  to 
etherealize,  it  (see  Isa.  52:11,  60:10-14).  In  the  minds  of 
expectant  writers,  it  took  on  heavenly  attributes  and  features, 
and  there  was  a  tendency  to  detach  it  altogether  from  the 
earth.  The  kingdom  became  transcendental  and  universal,  its 
realm  embraced  new  heavens  and  earth,  and  its  people  were 
the  risen  saints  of  God.  Between  these  two,  reconciling  them, 
and  bringing  them  together  in  a  single  conception,  we  find  in 
the  later  Jewish  writings  the  teaching  that  the  first  of  these 
two  kingdoms,  the  earthly  and  historical  kingdom,  is  to  be 
temporary  in  duration,  the  historical  prelude,  as  it  were,  to 
the  eternal  and  heavenly  kingdom.     The  Messiah  will  be  the 

1Beckwith,  p.   736. 


168  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

head  of  the  first,  and  God  of  the  last  of  these  kingdoms.  This 
conception  is  found  in  the  Old  Testament  apocryphal  books. 
See  II  Esdras  7:2811,  where  the  earthly  kingdom  is  four 
hundred  years  long.  The  author  of  Revelation  has  reproduced 
this  tradition  for  his  own  purpose.  He  gives  the  figure  1000 
as  the  duration  of  the  earthly  kingdom,  possibly  suggested  by 
a  combination  of  Gen.  2 :2  and  Ps.  90 :4.  Like  all  other  num- 
bers in  Revelation,  its  significance  is  symbolical  and  simply 
denotes   perfection. 

Finally,  the  author  inserts  an  idea  in  this  chapter  which 
is  all  his  own,  and  is  not  found  elsewhere  in  the  Bible.  It  is 
the  idea  contained  in  verses  4-6,  which  have  been  called 
"fateful  verses  which  have  produced  one  of  the  least  fruitful 
chapters  in  the  long  history  of  human  thought."  1  In  these 
verses,  upon  the  basis  of  traditional  material  which  has  just 
been  described,  the  author  advances  a  Christian  idea  which  is 
wholly  new  with  him,  that  Christ  is  to  rule  on  earth  for  a 
period  of  one  thousand  years  with  his  saints,  after  which 
Satan  is  to  resume  his  sway  until  the  final  judgment  and 
the  final  resurrection.  "These  few  verses  standing  alone  in 
Biblical  utterances,  and  apparently  deriving  their  formal  con- 
tents from  external  sources,  have  given  occasion  for  con- 
troversy running  through  the  ages,  and  for  vast  practical 
delusions."  2  And  to-day,  upon  the  basis  of  these  three  verses, 
there  are  thousands  of  people  who  believe  that  this  literal 
millennium  is  to  take  place,  when  a  visible  Christ  is  to  set  up 
his  kingdom  on  earth  and  reign  for  a  thousand  glorious  years 
with  his  saints. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  inquire  into  the  genesis,  the  history, 
or  the  moral  value  of  this  literal  millennial  idea.  But  it  must 
be  pointed  out  that  such  an  interpretation  of  these  verses  is 
wholly  foreign  to  the  whole  method  and  spirit  of  this  book. 
From  beginning  to  end,  the  author's  purpose  has  been  to 
describe  in  poetic  and  symbolical  and  prophetic  language  the 

1  Porter,  p.  277. 
*Beckwith,  p.   737. 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  169 

eternal  and  spiritual  truth  that  evil  shall  be  overthrown,  and 
that  God  and  his  people  shall  triumph.  He  is  doing  this  for 
a  very  practical  purpose.  He  is  not  seeking  to  plot  out  the 
remote  future,  or  give  us  either  the  chronology  or  the 
geography  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  but  rather  to  steel  the  hearts 
of  Christian  martyrs  at  a  particular  time  and  for  a  particular 
purpose.  He  uses  in  his  preaching  all  the  available  material 
that  he  can  find.  Some  of  this  we  have  been  able  to  trace 
and  some  of  it  we  cannot  trace.  Behind  this  idea,  for  example, 
of  a  temporary  reign  of  Christ  on  earth  with  his  saints, 
which,  as  we  have  seen,  stands  all  by  itself  in  explicit  utter- 
ance, there  may  run  a  Christian  tradition  unknown  to  us, 
reflected  in  such  Pauline  passages  as  I  Cor.  15:20-28,  6:2,  3. 
(See  Matt.  19:28.)  It  has  even  been  suggested  that  our 
author,  upon  the  basis  of  this  tradition,  himself  believed  that 
such  an  earthly  future  millennium  would  actually  take  place. 
No  one  can  answer  that  question  definitely,  either  one  way 
or  the  other.  The  whole  spiritual  interpretation  of  the  book, 
however,  plus  the  fact  that  there  is  no  known  previous  Chris- 
tian tradition  to  support  it,  argues  strongly  against  the  sup- 
position that  he  did.  In  either  case,  his  aim  in  this  chapter  is 
not  "the  revelation  of  a  chronological  program  in  the  world's 
history,"  or  the  prediction  of  a  future  era,  but  something  far 
more  practical  and  spiritual  and  real.  His  aim  is  to  set  forth 
to  those  early  Christians  in  a  dramatic  way,  the  spiritual 
truth  that  a  special  spiritual  reward  awaits  those  who  are 
faithful  unto  death.  Precisely  as  in  the  earlier  chapters  that 
reward  is  described  in  terms  of  a  new  name,  or  crown,  and  a 
permanent  place  in  the  Temple  of  God,  so  in  this  closing 
chapter  it  is  described  as  reigning  with  Christ  in  glory  and 
security.  For  that  purpose  those  verses  were  written,  and 
that  is  their  use  and  value  to  us  to-day.  Whether  or  not  our 
author  believed  that  there  would  be  any  such  literal  and  future 
millennium  (and  the  strong  presumption  is  that  he  did  not), 
"we  ourselves  ought  certainly  to  value  it  only  for  the  dis- 
tinctively Christian  truth  which  it  images  forth,  namely,  that 


170  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  KEVELATION 

the  conquest  of  evil  and  real  ralership  in  this  world  belong 
to  Christ  and  to  those  who  truly  belong  to  Him."1  The  es- 
sential truth  and  meaning  of  these  verses  both  to  the  author 
and  to  ourselves  is  contained  in  the  Beatitude  of  Jesus : 

Blessed  are  they  which  are  persecuted  for  righteousness' 
sake,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

As  for  the  ideas  of  the  final  judgment,  and  the  second 
death  and  resurrection,  with  which  the  chapter  closes,  these 
are  taken  freely  from  familiar  Jewish  apocalyptical  writings. 
The  description  of  Satan's  final  effort  to  assert  himself  is  a 
favorite  theme  in  such  writings,  and  the  notion  of  a  divine 
account  of  men's  deeds  on  earth  according  to  which  they  are 
to  be  judged  is  found  both  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in 
later  Jewish  books.  The  idea  of  restoring  to  life  some  who 
had  died  is  also  common  in  the  later  apocalypses.  Thus  in 
the  Book  of  Enoch  we  read  (I  En.  51:1) : 

In  those  days  shall  the  earth  also  give  back  that  which 
has  been  entrusted  to  it,  and  Sheol  shall  give  back  that 
which  it  has  received,  and  hell  shall  give  back  that  which 
it   owes. 

A  general  and  final  resurrection  and  a  fiery  torment  for  the 
wicked  are  familiar  notions  of  Jewish  writings,  reflection  of 
which  are  to  be  found  in  the  Gospels. 

This  chapter,  in  its  message  to  its  own  time,  to  our  time 
and  for  all  time,  takes  its  place  beside  the  other  great  chapters 
in  this  book.  It  is  the  same  spiritual  message  which  lays  the 
foundation  of  our  Social  Hope  and  nerves  us,  as  it  did  those 
early  Christians,  for  our  work  as  faithful  witnesses  of  Jesus. 
First,  it  tells  us  that  old  Satan  is  going  to  be  bound;  evil, 
that  is,  is  going  to  be  controlled,  and  when  it  is,  the  world 
will  seem  like  Paradise  restored,  it  will  seem  as  if  the  kingdom 
had  come,  as  if  the  millennium  had  dawned.  It  is  a  description 
of  a  temporary  flourishing  of  righteousness,  temporary  be- 
cause Satan  is  only  bound  and  not  destroyed.     The  thousand 

1  Porter,  p.  280. 


} 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  171 

years  express  no  period  of  time.  They  express  an  idea.  The 
author  might  have  used  four  hundred  or  seven  hundred  or 
twelve  hundred  or  any  other  sacred  number;  but  the  number 
makes  no  difference.  The  point  is,  so  long  as  evil  is  con- 
trolled but  not  destroyed,  the  freedom  from  struggle  will 
be  temporary,  and  not  eternal.  After  the  respite  is  over, 
then  evil  will  break  out  again.  There  will  be  a  recrudescence 
of  wickedness.  Right  again  will  be  on  the  scaffold  and 
wrong  on  the  throne.  It  is  not  an  easy  victory,  that  of  right 
against  wrong,  of  God  against  Satan.  He  is  not  to  be 
bound  all  at  once.  He  may  seem  to  be  down,  but  he  gets  up 
again.  We  may  seem  to  have  him  fast,  but  he  will  break 
loose  once  more.  Is  that  true  or  is  it  not?  We  see  it  in 
history.  Is  there  any  better  or  truer  way  of  interpreting  the 
awful  days  of  these  past  years  than  as  a  fresh  eruption  of 
Satan?  We  thought  we  had  him  down.  We  were  going  along 
so  nicely.  We  were  getting  rich  so  fast.  We  had  everything 
we  wanted.  We  knew  all  there  is  to  know.  We  had  become 
so  cultured,  so  wise,  so  self-sufficient,  it  looked  as  if  we 
were  on  the  borderland  of  perfection.  Then,  Hell  broke 
loose;  the  devil  escaped.  In  such  a  time,  let  us  remember 
the  immortal  hope  that  is  held  forth  in  this  chapter,  which 
does  full  justice  to  the  power  of  evil — the  hope  that  one  day 
Satan  will  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  where  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet  are,  and  will  remain  there  forever  and  ever, 
Amen.  The  chapter  tells  us  that  if  we  would  reign  with 
Christ,  we  must  suffer  with  Him;  if  we  would  sit  down  with 
Him  in  his  throne,  let  us  overcome,  even  as  He  overcame. 
In  a  world  still  in  the  grip  of  evil  and  under  Satan's  sway, 
there  remains  the  possibility  of  being  faithful  unto  death, 
and  so  becoming  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ  and  reigning 
with  Him  in  security  and  peace.  The  message  of  this  chapter 
confirms  and  fulfils  the  message  of  the  entire  book.  It  promises 
the  ultimate  extinction  of  evil,  and  the  sure  blessedness  of 
those  who  endure.  Let  us  lift  our  eyes  to  that  consummation 
and  fix  them  firmly  upon  it.     Not  Satan  bound,  but  Satan 


172  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

destroyed,  is  the  ultimate  purpose  of  God.  "And  the  begin- 
nings of  that  experience  are  now.  The  overcoming-  Christ  is 
with  us,  and  will  dwell  with  us  by  the  might  of  his  spirit."  * 

Chapter  20:1.  Then  I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from 
heaven  having  the  key  to  the  abyss  and  a  great  chain. 
2.  And  he  laid  hold  of  the  dragon,  that  is,  Satan,  bound 
him,  and  3.  cast  him  into  the  abyss  and  locked  him  up 
there  for  a  thousand  years,  after  which  he  must  have  free- 
dom for  a  last  brief  period.  4.  In  contrast  to  the  fate  of 
Satan,  I  saw  many  thrones  and  they  which  sat  on  them 
were  those  who  had  suffered  death  for  the  gospel's  sake. 
They  sat  now  as  judges,  and  their  special  reward  was  to 
share  for  the  thousand  years  in  the  reign  of  Christ.  5. 
The  rest  of  the  dead  were  not  restored  to  life  until  the 
thousand  years  were  passed.  6.  Blessed  therefore  are  those 
that  share  in  this  first  resurrection,  for  they  will  never 
taste  death  again,  but  will  continue  for  the  thousand  years 
as  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ.  7.  But  when  the  thou- 
sand years  are  over,  Satan  will  be  released  from  his  prison 
and  8,  9.  shall  assemble  the  remote  nations  of  the  earth  in 
a  numberless  multitude  for  a  final  assault  upon  the  city 
and  people  of  God.  But  fire  from  God  consumed  them 
utterly  10.  and  Satan  was  cast  down  into  the  brimstone  lake 
where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are,  to  suffer  eternal 
torment.  11.  Then  I  had  a  vision  of  a  God  on  a  great  white 
throne.  From  his  presence  earth  and  sea  fled  so  far  that 
they  were  no  more  to  be  found.  12.  And  I  saw  all  the  dead 
stand  before  God  while  their  books  were  opened  and  they 
were  judged  by  their  deeds  written  in  the  books.  And  an- 
other book,  even  the  book  of  life,  was  also  opened.  13. 
And  sea  and  death  and  hell  delivered  up  their  dead  to  be 
judged.  14,15.  And  death  and  hell  were  themselves  cast" 
into  the  lake  of  fire.  And  if  any  one's  name  was  not  found 
recorded  in  the  book  of  life,  he  was  thrown  into  the  lake 
of  fire,  which  is  the  second  death. 

Notes  20:1  For  the  key  to  the  abyss,  see  9:1.  v.  3  Sealed 
(See  Dan.  6:17;  Prayer  of  Manas.  4:  Matt.  27:66.)  v.  4 
Suggested  by  Dan.  7:9,  10,  22.  The  martyred  saints  sit  on 
the  thrones  and  judge  the  world.  Judgment  means  the  func- 
tion of  judging,  (cf.  Lk.  22:30;  Matt.  19:28;  I  Cor.  6:2.) 
Actual  martyrs  are  here  meant,  v.  5  The  rest  All  except  the 
martyrs;  righteous  and  unrighteous  alike.  These  are  dis- 
tinguished in  vv.  12ff.     Only  the  martyrs  share  in  the  glory 

1  Charles  Brown,    Heavenly   Visions,    pp.   247-248. 


THE  DOOM  OF  EVIL  173 

of  Christ's  reign.  Their  resurrection  comes  first.  The  general 
resurrection  follows,  v.  6  Priests  (See  1:6,  5:10;  Isa.  61:6.) 
v.  8  Such  a  general  onslaught  of  nations  is  described  in  F>zek. 
38-39,  and  II  Esdras  13  :5ff.  The  names  Gog  and  Magog  oc- 
cur in  Ezekiel  and  probably  go  back  to  an  earlier  tradition. 
It  is  the  author's  own  idea  to  represent  Satan  as  leading  them 
in  this  final  attack.  And  God  Himself  destroys  Satan,  whereas 
in  chapter  19  Christ  overthrows  the  beast.  Note  again  the 
interchange  of  the  future  and  past  tenses,  w.  8,  9  Four 
corners  of  the  earth  (cf.  7:1;  Isa.  11:12).  v.  9  Camp  So 
Ex.  16:13;  Deut.  23:14,  not  to  be  distinguished  in  meaning 
from  "city."  An  earthly  Jerusalem  is  meant.  For  destruction 
by  fire,  cf.  Ezek.  39:6;  38:22.  vv.  llff  This  judgment  scene 
follows  closely  Matt.  25:31-46;  Rom.  14:10;  II  Cor.  5:10;  II 
Esdras  7:33ff.  v.  11  Throne  (cf.  Dan.  7:9;  Isa.  6:1.)  The 
existing  earth  is  removed  (II  Pet.  3:10-13)  to  give  place  to 
the  new  world,  v.  12  (See  II  Cor.  5:10.)  A  bodily  resurrec- 
tion is  meant.  On  book  of  life,  see  3:5.  Works  means  their 
whole  spiritual  being  and  activity.  So  in  14:13.  v.  13  Death 
and  hell  (See  1:18,  6:8.)  v.  14  God's  servants  are  to  be 
delivered  from  the  fear  of  death.  (Heb.  2:15;  I.  Cor.  15:26.) 
V.  14  The  first  death  is  ordinary  physical  death.  Consign- 
ment to  the  lake  of  fire  is  here  spoken  of  as  a  new  (second) 
sort  of  death. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

'    THE   BLESSED   CONSUMMATION 

Revelation,  Chapters  21,  22 

WITH  the  close  of  chapter  20,  the  last  word  has  been 
spoken  concerning  the  doom  of  evil.  Every  last 
vestige  of  it  has  been  destroyed.  It  needs  to  be  borne  in  mind, 
however,  that  this  has  been  no  easy  victory.  The  long,  hard 
struggle  with  Rome,  with  the  beast,  with  Satan,  has  stretched 
through  the  Book  of  Revelation  from  beginning  to  end.  The 
full  and  entire  resources  of  God,  of  Christ,  and  of  their 
servants  and  followers  have  been  needed  to  put  an  end  to 
evil;  and  the  time  required  has  tested  the  patience  and  en- 
durance of  the  people  of  God.  Here  Revelation  brings  to  us 
a  much-needed  social  message.  The  trouble  with  workers  for 
righteousness  is  that  they  expect  a  too  speedy  and  too  easy 
victory.  They  grow  weary  in  well-doing  because  their  efforts 
are  not  rewarded  soon  enough.  They  make  up  their  minds 
in  advance  when  they  feel  the  end  should  come,  and  if  it  does 
not  come,  lose  heart.  This  book  teaches  us  otherwise.  It  tells 
us  that  potentially  the  victory  has  already  been  won;  but  it 
also  tells  us  that  actually  it  is  a  long  way  off.  It  bids  us 
prepare  for  a  long  journey  so  that  we  shall  not  be  disap- 
pointed if  we  do  not  arrive  too  soon.  A  journey  is  no  longer 
than  we  make  it  in  our  minds.  It  is  all  according  to  the  way 
we  pitch  our  expectations.  A  great  moral  need  in  our  day 
is  the  proper  moral  perspective.  Revelation  gives  us  that 
perspective,  and  this  is  not  the  least  of  the  book's  contribu- 
tions to  our  equipment  for  social  work. 

Neither  can  it  be  said  that  the  spiritual  prophecy  of  this 

174 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  175 

book  has  failed  of  fulfilment.  It  is  true  that  Rome  did  not 
fall  within  the  lifetime  of  the  author.  But  fall  at  length  it 
did,  and  many  a  Rome  has  fallen  since.  It  is  true  that  no 
visible  Anti-Christ  appeared  in  the  prophet's  day.  But  the 
Nero-spirit  was  slain  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ  who  assumed  the 
control  of  the  on-coming  centuries.  It  is  true  that  the  end 
has  not  yet  come.  But  it  is  also  true  that  we  have  sufficient 
proof  in  history  of  the  vindication  of  righteousness  and  the 
ruin  of  evil  to  assure  us  of  the  moral  nature  of  that  end 
when  it  shall  come.  The  faith  of  the  prophet  has  been 
abundantly  fulfilled.  Two  thousand  years  of  proof  should 
be  sufficient  to  cause  us  to  embrace  and  cherish  this  faith  in 
the  struggles  which  still  lie  before  us. 

With  the  condemnation  of  evil  behind  him,  our  author  has 
only  to  describe  the  salvation  of  God's  people  in  order  to 
bring  his  glowing  book  to  a  close.  This  he  does  in  the  two 
remaining  chapters.  These  chapters  fall  naturally  in  two 
sections:  first,  the  description  of  the  Holy  City,  the  New 
Jerusalem,  chapters  21:1-22:5,  and  second,  the  epilogue, 
chapter  22:6-21. 

1.     The  Holy  City  (Chapter  21:1-22:9) 

To  the  Christian  heart  these  chapters  are  among  the  dearest 
of  all  not  only  in  this  book,  but  in  the  Bible.  They  help  to 
explain  how  the  Book  of  Revelation  found  its  way  at  last  into 
the  New  Testament  canon.  The  history  of  the  book  is  peculiar. 
"At  the  outset  it  was  generally  accepted.  In  the  second  cen- 
tury, it  was  among  the  earliest  books  to  be  included  in  the 
growing  New  Testament.  Hardly  any  one  doubted  its  right 
to  be  there.  Yet  in  the  third '  century  the  Greek  theologians 
of  Alexandria — Origen  and  those  whom  he  influenced — were 
repelled  by  it,  as  are  many  to-day.  Scholarly  training  could 
not  understand  it  and  could  not  reconcile  itself  to  its  strange 
thought  and  grotesque  expression.  .  .  .  For  centuries  it  was  in 
debate  in  the  Greek  church:  ...  to  this  day  it  is  not  a  part 


176  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

of  the  official  Syrian  New  Testament." '  The  Roman  Church, 
however,  held  fast  to  the  book,  and  it  was  finally  accepted  as 
one  of  the  authoritative  books  of  the  New  Testament.2  What 
were  the  causes  that  led  to  its  retention?  Chief  among  them, 
without  question,  was  the  immortal  appeal  of  the  book  to 
faith  and  fortitude,  and  its  glowing  assurances  of  ultimate  vic- 
tory. But  also,  we  may  believe,  these  final  precious  chapters 
had  much  to  do  with  the  result.  Doubtless  they  were  read 
and  re-read  by  early  Christians  as  they  have  been  by  Chris- 
tians ever  since.  They  brought  unspeakable  comfort  to  them 
as  they  do  to  us.  The  Christian  heart  found  that  it  could 
not  do  without  them.  There  was  no  substitute  for  them  to 
be  found  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament.  Their  spiritual 
value  made  the  church  reluctant  to  lose  them.  They  were 
found  to  be  the  best  description  of  heaven,  in  the  poetry  of 
the  human  heart,  ever  put  into  language.  Men  have  always 
wondered  what  heaven  is  like.  To  the  Christians  for  whom 
this  book  was  written  whose  friends  may  already  have  suf- 
fered or  were  to  suffer  martyrdom,  these  chapters  brought  an 
imperishable  message  of  comfort.  That  message  it  has 
brought  ever  since.  Any  vision  of  heaven  is  welcomed  by  the 
hungry  souls  of  men.  Let  any  one  be  able  to  speak  of  what 
he  feels  heaven  to  be  like,  and  multitudes  will  hear  or  read 
what  he  has  to  say.  In  "Chapters  from  a  Life"  by  Elizabeth 
Stuart  Phelps,  we  have  a  graphic  illustration  of  this  fact 
(chapters  5  and  6).  About  the  year  1863  a  little  book  was 
written  by  an  unknown  schoolgirl  only  twenty  years  of  age. 
"At  that  time  the  country  was  dark  with  sorrowing  women. 
The  regiments  came  home,  but  the  mourners  went  about  the 
streets.  The  Grand  Review  passed  through  Washington:  four 
hundred  thousand  ghosts  of  murdered  men  kept  invisible 
march  to  the  drum-beats  and  lifted  to  the  stained  and  tattered 
flags  the  proud  and  unreturned  gaze  of  the  dead  who  have 
died  in  their  glory.    Our  gayest  scenes  were  black  with  crepe : 

1  James  Hardy  Ropes,  Harvard  Theological  Review,  Oct.  1919. 

2  See   E.   C.    Moore,   The   New   Testament   in    the   Christian   Church, 
pp.  182-187. 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  177* 

the  drawn  faces  of  bereaved  wife,  mother,  sister,  and  widowed 
girl  showed  everywhere.  Gray-haired  parents  knelt  at  the 
grave  of  the  boy  whose  enviable  fortune  it  was  to  be  brought 
home  in  time  to  die  in  his  mother's  room.  .  .  .  Into  that 
great  world  of  woe  my  little  book  stole  forth  trembling.  But 
the  very  title,  'Gates  Ajar'  caught  the  attention  of  the  sor- 
rowing multitudes."  The  book  was  everywhere  read,  and  that 
Andover  school-girl's  description  of  what  heaven  is  like 
brought  comfort  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  bereaved  and 
lonely  souls.  This  incident  in  literature  helps  us  to  under- 
stand the  sacred  and  permanent  meaning  of  these  final  chap- 
ters of  Revelation  to  the  heart  of  Christians. 

Of  the  place  and  meaning  of  these  chapters  in  the  plan  of 
the  author,  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak.  They  are  an  amplifi- 
cation and  confirmation  of  those  promises  to  the  faithful  wit- 
nesses of  Jesus  contained  in  the  previous  chapters  of  the  book. 
In  no  more  beautiful  way  could  the  author  have  completed  his 
inspired  message.  And  in  no  more  wonderful  way  could  the 
Bible  itself  have  come  to  an  end.  What  a  unity  the  whole 
Bible  message  has  thus  achieved!  Genesis  and  Revelation 
stand  over  against  each  other,  the  last  book  in  the  Bible  ful- 
filling even  in  detail  the  story  of  the  first.  There  man  was 
created;  here  he  stands  redeemed.  There  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  were  fashioned.  Here  is  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth.  There  were  cities  of  evil,  here  is  a  Holy  City.  There 
was  the  tree  of  which  man  was  forbidden  to  eat;  here  is  the 
tree  of  life.  There  was  the  curse;  here  is  no  more  curse. 
There  the  first  man  was  driven  out  of  Paradise;  here  is  the 
welcome,  "Whosoever  will,  let  him  come."  ^ 

The  promise  of  immortality  has  its  permanent  place  in 
the  social  message  of  Revelation.  Faith  in  immortality  is  in- 
dispensable to  the  worker  for  righteousness  and  for  a  world 
that  hopes  to  achieve  righteousness.  This  faith  is  not  a  mere 
selfish  desire  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  personal  life,  or  the 
selfish  expectation  of  a  personal  reward.  Rather  it  is  the 
indispensable  assurance  of  the  permanence  of  the  sohl  that 


178  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

strives,  and  of  the  permanence  of  those  spiritual  ideals  for 
which  it  strives.  It  is  only  as  one  believes  that  "he  who 
doeth  the  will  of  the  Lord  abideth  forever,"  and  that  "our 
labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord,"  that  one  is  given  the  spiritual 
convictions  that  fill  his  social  striving  with  hope  and  joy. 
All  history  and  biography  go  to  prove  that  faith  in  im- 
mortality, and  achievement  in  the  realm  of  moral  and  spiritual 
endeavor,  go  hand  in  hand.  These  chapters  are  an  essential 
part  of  the  social  message  of  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

The  author  found  materials  for  his  immortal  description 
of  the  Holy  City  in  the  Old  Testament.1  We  may  trace  their 
development  in  the  following  way:  We  find  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment the  idea  of  a  restored  Jerusalem  after  its  first  fall.  As 
we  have  seen,  Ezekiel  and  Isaiah,  when  they  picture  the  New 
Jerusalem  rising  from  the  ruins  of  the  old,  begin  to  use  super- 
natural language.  Sometimes  it  is  only  a  city  that  has  become 
morally  pure,  a  "holy  city"  in  literal  terms.  (Isa.  52:1.) 
Often  the  city  is  invested  with  an  unearthly  glory. 

I  will  set  thy  stones  with  fair  colours  and  lay  thy  founda- 
tions with  sapphires.  And  I  will  make  thy  pinnacles  of  rubies 
and  thy  gates  of  carbuncles,  and  all  thy  borders  of  precious 
stones  (Isa.  54:11,  12).  Thy  gates  also  shall  be  open  continu- 
ally; they  shall  not  be  shut  day  nor  night.  The  glory  of 
Lebanon  shall  come  unto  thee  (Isa.  60:11,  13). 

Ezekiel  in  chapters  40-48  gives  us  such  a  spiritualized  de- 
scription of  the  New  Jerusalem,  closing  with  the  word: 

And  the  name  of  the  city  from  that  day  shall  be,  The 
Lord  is  there. 

Of  course  it  was  of  an  earthly  Jerusalem  that  these  men 
wrote.  Yet  the  more  glorious  the  city  was  imagined  to  be, 
the  easier  it  was  to  arrive  at  the  idea  that  God  Himself  had 
first  fashioned  the  city  in  heaven,  and  that  from  there  it 
would  descend  to  earth.  This  idea  of  a  pre-existent  Jerusalem 
is  not  clearly  found  in  Jewish  writing's  until  after  the  destruc- 
JSee   Porter,   pp.   282ff. 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  179 

tion  of  Jerusalem  in  the  year  70  of  the  Christian  era.  Then, 
however,  with  the  complete  obliteration  of  all  earthly  hopes, 
this  exalted  and  unearthly  conception  of  a  Jerusalem  existing 
in  heaven  plainly  appears.     Thus  in  II  Esdras  we  read: 

And  the  bride  shall  appear,  and  she  coming  forth  shall 
be  seen  that  now  is  withdrawn  from  the  earth  (7:  26). 
And  Sion  shall  come  and  shall  be  shewed  unto  all  men 
being  prepared  and  builded  like  as  thou  sawest  the  hill 
graven  without  hands  (13:36).  For  unto  you  is  Paradise 
opened:  the  tree  of  life  is  planted,  the  time  to  come  is  pre- 
pared, plenteousness  is  made  ready,  a  city  is  builded  (8:  52). 
For  in  the  place  where  the  Highest  beginneth  to  shew  his 
city,  there  can  no  man's  building  be  able  to  stand.  And 
therefore  fear  not  .  .  .  but  go  thy  way  in  and  see  the 
beauty  and  greatness  of  the  building,  as  much  as  thine  eye 
is  able  to  see  (10:54,  55). 

And  reflections  of  this  idea  of  a  heavenly  Jerusalem  are 
found  in  certain  New  Testament  passages,  as  in  Gal.  4:26, 
and  Heb.  11:10-16,  12:22,  13:14. 

These,  then,  are  the  materials  which  the  author  uses.  It  is 
useless  to  ask  how  far  he  shared  in  these  Jewish  beliefs.  That 
the  early  disciples  held  them,  we  know  (Matt.  20:21,  Acts 
1:6).  We  know  also  that  they  gave  gradually  away  before 
the  pressure  of  more  distinctively  Christian  ideas  and  that 
few  survivals  of  them  are  to  be  found  in  the  later  and  more 
spiritual  portions  of  the  New  Testament.  It  is  true  that 
our  author  was  saturated  with  Jewish  ideas,  of  which  this 
was  one.  But  it  is  also  true  that  he  was  a  Christian.  The 
fact  that  he  uses  Jewish  material  does  not  prove  that  he 
shared  in  the  Jewish  faith  which  produced  it.  He  is  for- 
ever turning  material  to  his  own  ends.  That  he  himself 
looked  forward  to  an  idealized  Jerusalem  on  earth  seems 
most  improbable.  What  he  describes  is  no  earthly  city. 
"The  heavenly  city  remains  heavenly  in  character  though  it 
descends  to  earth."  He  uses  this  symbolic  language  to  depict 
the  New  Jerusalem  which,  most  probably  for  him  and  cer- 
tainly for  us,  is  none  other  than  the  heaven  of  the  Chris- 
tian's hope.     Using  the  longings  of  Israel  for  a  New  Jeru- 


180  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

salem,  touched  with  the  customs  and  longings  of  the  Chris- 
tian heart,  he  has  given  us  this  incomparable  description  of 
Jerusalem  the  Golden;  of  the  presence  of  God  and  spiritual 
communion  with  Him  of  his  faithful  people.  None  but  the 
most  incorrigible  literalist  will  think  of  analyzing  these  meas- 
urements of  the  walls,  or  of  constructing  any  material  no- 
tions from  them.  We  understand  this  language  to  be  wholly 
symbolic,  used  to  give  the  impression  of  the  glory,  vastness, 
beauty  and  perfection  of  the  heavenly  life.  It  is  indeed  "to 
our  great  advantage  that  the  Jewish  prophets  expected  an 
earthly  consummation,  for  they  were  able  to  give  to  this  a 
vivid,  concrete  emotional  expression,  and  the  language  of 
beauty  and  feeling  in  which  they  voiced  their  hope  is  a  far 
more  adequate  expression  of  our  more  ideal  aspirations  than 
we  could  create  for  ourselves.  Figurative  language  is  the 
only  language  in  which  we  can  express  our  hope  of  heaven, 
and  no  figures  can  have  greater  power  to  suggest  this  hope 
than  those  taken  from  the  literal  longings  of  exiled  Israel 
for  the  recovery  of  its  land  and  city."1 

Chapter  21:1.  Then  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth 
for  the  first  heaven  and  earth  had  vanished,  and  the  sea 
no  longer  exists.  2.  And  I  saw  the  holy  city  descending 
from  heaven  arrayed  like  a  bride.  3.  And  a  voice  from 
heaven  told  me  that  this  meant  that  God  would  now  dwell 
among  men  4.  and  take  from  them  tears  and  death  and 
sorrow  and  pain,  because  the  first  things  had  passed  away. 
5.  And  God  from  his  throne  declared  that  his  word  is  to 
be  trusted  that  He  makes  all  things  new.  6.  He  said: 
It  is  finished.  I  am  the  First  and  the  Last,  and  I  will 
give  water  without  price  to  all  that  are  thirsty.  7.  The 
victor  shall  inherit  all  this  and  we  shall  be  as  Father  and 
son.  8.  But  the  faint-hearted  and  the  faithless  and  the 
wicked  shall  have  their  share  of  the  lake  of  fire.  9.  And 
one  of  the  angels  who  had  the  bowls  told  me  that  he  would 
show  me  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  bride  of  Christ.  10. 
And,  as  in  a  vision,  I  saw  the  holy  city  descending  out 
of  heaven  11.  having  the  glory  of  God  and  shining  like  a 
diamond,  and  clear  as  crystal.  12,  13.  It  had  great  walls, 
and  twelve  gates,  four  on  each  side,  corresponding  to  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  14.  And  the  wall  had  twelve  founda- 
1  Porter,   pp.   287,   288. 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  181 

tions,  one  for  each  of  the  twelve  apostles.  15,16.  And  the 
angel  measured  the  city  with  a  golden  reed,  and  found 
that  it  measured  fifteen  hundred  miles,  and  its  length  and 
breadth  and  height  were  the  same.  17.  He  also  measured 
the  wall  and  it  was  about  two  hundred  feet  thick  accord- 
ing to  man's  way  of  measuring  which  was  the  standard 
adopted  by  the  angel.  18.  The  wall  was  of  diamond,  but 
the  city  itself  was  like  transparent  gold.  19,20.  The  twelve 
foundation  stones  were  twelve  different  jewels,  21.  and  each 
gate  was   a  single  pearl,   and  the  streets   transparent  gold. 

22.  There  was  no  temple  because  God  and  Christ  are  there. 

23.  And  there  was  no  need  of  other  light  than  their  glory. 

24.  By  this  light  shall  the  nations  walk,  and  kings  will 
bring  their  treasure  into  25.  its  ever-open  gates,  which 
are  never  closed  by  day,  and  night  there  is  none.  26.  Yea, 
the  splendour  of  the  nations  shall  be  brought  there.  27.  Yet 
nothing  unclean  shall  enter  into  it  nor  any  save  them  whom 
Christ  hath  chosen.  Chapter  22:1.  And  he  shewed  me  the 
living  water  which  flowed  forth  from  God's  throne  2.  through 
the  streets  of  the  city.  And  on  each  side  of  the  river  was 
the  tree  of  Life  which  bore  fruit  twelve  times  a  year 
sufficient  to  feed  the  nations,  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
served  to  heal  them.  3.  No  one  who  is  accursed  shall  be 
there,  but  the  throne  of  God  and  of  Christ  shall  be  there, 
and  his  servants  will  serve  Him  4.  and  see  Him  and  bear 
his  name.  5.  And  there  shall  be  no  night,  and  they  will 
need  neither  lamp  nor  sun-light,  for  the  glory  of  God  will 
shine  upon  them.  So  they  shall  live  and  reign  forever. 

Notes  21:1  No  more  sea  The  Hebrews  shared  intensely  the 
ancients'  dread  of  the  sea.  Every  voyage  recounted  in  Scrip- 
ture ends  in  shipwreck,  (cf.  Isa.  57:20;  Ps.  107:25-28; 
Ezek.  28:8.)  The  idea  may  go  back  to  the  mythical  notion 
that  the  sea  is  the  symbol  of  chaos.  V.  3  (cf.  7:15;  Ezek. 
37:27;  Zech.  2:10,  8:8;  II  Cor.  6:16.)  v.  4  (Isa.  25:8,  35:10, 
65:17,  19;  Hos.  13:14.)  v.  5  (II  Cor.  5:17.)  v.  6  (Isa.  55:1, 
44:3;  Ps.  42:lff,  63:1;  John  4:10,14;  7:37ff.)  v.  8  (Ps. 
11:6;  Isa.  30:33;  Ezek.  38:22.)  v.  9  By  using  one  of  the 
angels  with  the  bowls  for  this  purpose,  the  author  contrasts 
the  picture  of  the  Holy  City  with  that  of  the  harlot  city  in 
chapter  17.  Note  the  close  correspondence  of  chapters  17 :1,3, 
and  21:9,  10.  v.  11  (cf.  Ezek.  43:5;  Isa.  60:1.)  Jasper  is 
probably  our  diamond.1     v.  12    (See  Ezek.  48:1-20.)     v.  13 

1  See  Hastings'  Bible  Dictionary,  article  "Precious  Stones." 


182  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

Taken  directly  from  Ezek.  48:31ff.  (See  Isa.  62:6;  II  Chron. 
8:14.)  v.  14  (Isa.  28:16;  Heb.  11:10;  Eph.  2:20;  Matt. 
16:18.)  w.  15,16  (Ezek.  40:3-20.)  It  is  not  apparent  that 
the  author  means  to  draw  a  distinction  between  the  city  and 
the  wall.  The  two  form  a  single  idea.  Each  dimension  meas- 
ured 1500  miles,  v.  17  Since  the  height  of  the  wall  has  al- 
ready been  given,  it  seems  natural  to  understand  this  meas- 
urement to  refer  to  its  thickness.  (See  Ezek.  40:5,  42:20.) 
v.  18  The  details  are  suggested  by  Isa.  54:llff;  Tobit  13 :16ff. 
w.  19-20  (See  Ex.  28:17ff,  39:10ff;  Ezek.  28:13.)  v.  22  The 
author  leaves  the  prophets  here  where  the  temple  is  a  promi- 
nent feature  of  the  glorified  city  (Isa.  44:28,  60:13)  and 
speaks  like  a  Christian  (John  4:21,  23).  v.  23  (Isa.  60:19ff.) 
vv.  24-26  The  author  does  not  hesitate  to  introduce  alien  na- 
tions in  his  picture  of  the  Holy  City,  since  his  desire  is  to 
describe  the  universal  sway  of  God  to  whom  all  are  subject. 
He  is  using  well  known  passages  for  this  purpose.  (See 
Isa.  60:3, 11;  Tobit  13:11.)  v.  27  (See  Isa.  52:1;  Ezek.  44:9.) 
22:1  Ezekiel  is  closely  followed  here.  (See  Ezek.  47:1-12.) 
v.  2  The  first  clause  in  this  verse  is  best  joined  with  v.  1. 
Tree  of  Life  suggested  from  Gen.  2 :8,  9.  (cf.  II  Esdras  7 :53, 
8:52.  See  Ezek.  47:12.)  The  healing  properties  of  leaves 
suggests  the  use  of  plants  as  medicines,  v.  3.  No  more  curse, 
or,  more  likely,  no  more  accursed  thing  (Jos.  7:12).  v.  4 
(See  Ps.  17:15;  Matt.  5:8;  I  Jn.  3:2.)  v.  5  (Dan.  7:27; 
Rom.  5:17.) 

2.     The  Epilogue  (Chapter  22:6-21) 

With  the  fifth  verse  of  the  last  chapter  of  Revelation  the 
visions  come  to  an  end.  There  is  nothing  left  for  the  author 
to  do  but  to  end  the  book  itself.  Readers  will  compare  this 
epilogue  carefully  with  the  prologue.  The  correspondences 
between  the  two  make  it  evident  that  they  were  composed  to- 
gether with  the  express  purpose  of  having  the  same  ideas 
stand  both  at  the  beginning  and  at  the  end.     They  are  held 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  183 

together  by  the  solemn  announcement  of  the  same  purpose, 
the  same  warnings,  and  the  same  assurance.  Possibly  the 
prologue  may  have  been  composed  after  the  epilogue  already 
had  been  written.  At  any  rate  it  was  certainly  influenced 
by  it.  In  both,  we  have  the  assurance  that  the  revelation 
comes  from  God  Himself  (1:1,  22:6);  and  from  Christ  (1:1, 
22:16);  by  means  of  an  angel  (1:1,  22:16);  through  John 
(1:1,  4,  9;  22:8)  duly  commissioned  (1:1,  9-11;  22:8,  10);  it 
is  to  be  read  in  the  churches  (1:3,  11;  22:16,  18);  it  prom- 
ises a  sure  reward  to  the  faithful  (1:3;  22:7,  12,  14) ;  and  sure 
punishment  to  the  faithless  (1:7;  22:11,  18);  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  is  near  (1:3;  22:6,  20) ;  who  was  the  historic  Jesus, 
but  is  now  the  ascended  and  victorious  Christ  (1:5,  7; 
22:13,  16).  These  are  the  ideas  with  which  the  book  begins, 
and  ends. 

No  one  can  read  this  epilogue  and  escape  the  conviction 
that  when  the  author  wrote  it,  he  was  in  the  grip  of  great 
spiritual  excitement.  It  is  as  if  he  were  tossing  into  this 
closing  passage  one  after  another  the  thoughts  that  rose  like 
a  tumult  in  his  soul.  Cool,  critical  analysts  have  found  in 
these  disjointed  sentences,  these  ejaculatory  interpolations, 
these  repetitions  and  interruptions,  proof  of  the  composite 
nature  of  the  book,  and  they  would  smooth  it  all  out  and 
arrange  it  according  to  logical  sequences  of  their  own.  They 
only  reveal  how  much  they  themselves  are  strangers  to  in- 
spiration and  unacquainted  with  prophetic  moods  and  in- 
stinct. All  through  this  book  there  have  been  interruptions 
and  repetitions.  It  is  part  of  the  author's  manner.  He  has 
sketched  his  drama  in  the  large,  and  has  followed  his  spirit- 
ual purpose  from  beginning  to  end  with  passionate  precision. 
As  we  have  seen,  in  constructing  the  different  scenes  he  has 
thrown  together  his  materials  with  regard  to  pictorial  effect 
and  general  impression,  rather  than  with  a  view  to  logical 
order  and  connection.  That  is  what  we  should  expect  of  an 
apocalyptical  writer.  He  moves  in  a  realm  of  great,  general 
ideas  and  he  labors  under  great  spiritual  emotion.    He  fills  up 


{ 


184  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

his  chapters  with  a  wealth  of  material;  repeats  the  same  idea 
in  different  form;  has  an  eye  to  contrast;  his  fervid  spiritual 
imagination  leaps  from  one  idea  to  another;  he  interjects 
brief  prophetic  utterances  that  disturb  the  exact  sequence 
of  thought;  and  breaks  out  in  impassioned  appeals  and  warn- 
ings as  these  capture  his  mind.  It  is  all  in  the  way  of  his 
writing.     It  is  all  according  to  his  purpose.1 

So,  in  this  final  passage,  bringing  his  book  to  an  impas- 
sioned end,  he  throws  together  what  has  been  in  his  mind 
from  the  first.2  Those  early  Christians  must  stand  firm  in 
their  hour  of  trial.  The  Christian  faith  is  at  stake.  The 
church  is  at  the  cross-roads.  Be  firm.  These  promises  are 
sure.  Christ  is  coming  quickly.  His  reward  is  with  Him. 
Blessed  are  the  faithful.  Swift  and  sure  is  the  punishment 
of  the  faithless.  This  book  is  indeed  the  very  word  of  God. 
0  come,  Lord  Jesus.     Amen. 

Two  ideas  stand  out  from  this  final  passage  which  call  for 
comment.  One  is  the  repeated  asseveration  that  John  writes 
from  a  felt  conviction  received  from  God  Himself.  These 
are  not  John's  ideas.  They  are  a  message  from  God  con- 
veyed through  him.  Over  and  over  again  this  idea  has  been 
insisted  upon;  in  these  last  verses  it  is  once  more  solemnly 
asserted.  The  author  of  this  book,  that  is,  is  a  veritable 
prophet.  He  closes  the  long  line  of  inspired  Bible  writers. 
He  speaks  out  what  God  has  given  him  to  say.  We  are  re- 
minded here  of  the  uniqueness  of  Bible  inspiration.  There 
is  nothing  like  it  in  all  literature.  The  difference  between 
the  Bible  and  other  books,  as  Frederick  Denison  Maurice  once 
remarked,  is  that  in  other  writings  we  have  men's  thoughts 
about  God,  but  in  the  Bible  we  have  God's  thought  toward 
man.  The  Book  of  Revelation  measures  up  to  Bible  standards. 
Nowhere  in  the  Bible  do  we  have  literature  as  such.    No  Bible 

1  See  Beckwith,   pp.   241ff. 

2  "Civilization  will  not  be  saved  by  flabby  optimism,  nor  by  irreso- 
lute good-will.  It  needs  the  virtues  of  the  warrior  and  no  call  to 
its  service  is  even  more  pressing  now  than  ever  was  the  call  to 
arms,"   President  Richard  C.   Maclaurin. 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  185 

author  writes  merely  for  the  sake  of  writing.  Each  writes 
from  a  conscious  motive  and  for  a  particular  moral  end.  So 
writes  this  inspired  author.  His  message  came  to  him  from 
God.  It  came  from  Christ.  It  bore  their  authentication.  It 
was  given  to  the  churches.  It  was  given  for  a  purpose.  They 
who  read  it  must  not,  could  not,  doubt  its  truth.  The  au- 
thority of  the  message  of  this  book  thus  rests  in  the  fact  that 
it  is  grounded  in  the  moral  purpose  of  God.  It  is  not  some- 
thing that  can  be  questioned  or  debated.  It  is  as  if  the 
honor  of  God  were  at  stake.  "These  sayings  are  faithful 
and  true." 

For  us  to-day,  the  ultimate  value  of  the  social  message 
of  the  Book  of  Revelation  lies  in  the  fact  that  here  is  no 
theory  of  social  salvation,  no  scheme  of  social  redemption, 
no  human  plan  of  social  readjustment  or  amelioration.  The 
world  is  glutted  with  these.  Panaceas  and  cure-alls  abound 
on  every  hand.  Every  age  and  generation  has  its  own  methods 
of  reform.  Behind  all  these,  the  worker  for  righteousness 
has  this  inspired  book.  It  tells  him  that  behind  all  the  move- 
ments of  history,  and  underlying  all  human  efforts  for  a  better 
world-order,  there  is  a  God  at  work;  there  is  the  omnipotent 
Christ  traveling  in  the  glory  of  his  strength.  Evil  cannot 
permanently  withstand  these  divine  forces  that  already  have 
decreed  its  overthrow.  The  victory  of  righteousness  is  in- 
volved in  the  very  nature  of  God.  Christ  is  the  guarantee. 
Here  is  the  unshakable  foundation.  In  his  darkest  days  in 
darkest  Africa,  David  Livingstone  could  write  these  words: 
"He  will  keep  his  word.  He  will  bring  it  to  pass.  I  may 
fall  by  the  way,  being  unworthy  to  see  the  dawning  I  had 
hoped  to  see.  It  will  come  through;  it  must  come,  and  I 
do  not  despair  of  the  day  one  bit.  Doubt  is  here  inadmis- 
sible, surely."  It  is  the  only  sure  foundation  of  the  Social 
Hope.     "These  sayings  are  faithful  and  true." 

What  are  we  to  make  of  the  author's  repeated  assertions 
that  Christ  is  to  come  quickly?  The  idea  is  repeated  more 
than  once  in  this  brief  passage.     Let  the  book  remain  open, 


186  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

instead  of  being  sealed  as  in  the  case  of  the  book  of  Daniel, 
for  the  time  is  at  hand.  Let  the  unjust  remain  unjust.  There 
is  no  time  for  moral  change.  "Surely  I  come  quickly."  Did 
the  author  expect  the  speedy  advent  of  the  visible  Christ? 
Did  he  look  for  the  consummation  of  things  in  the  near 
future?      Was    the   whole    Apocalypse    an    imminent    event? 

A  careful  reader  of  the  New  Testament  will  hesitate  to 
answer  that  question  dogmatically.  It  may  well  be  asked 
"Who  can  say?"  We  know  that  the  expectation  of  the  quick 
coming  of  Christ  runs  all  through  the  New  Testament  from 
beginning  to  end.  We  know  that  it  was  the  fervid  hope  of 
many  who  lived  at  the  age  of  our  author,  when  the  very 
contrast  between  Caesar  and  Christ  was  such  that  nothing  but 
an  immediate  return  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  power  and  great 
glory  would  seem  to  answer  the  situation  and  assure  the  sal- 
vation of  the  people  of  God.  Our  author  may  have  shared  in 
that  hope.  Yet  even  if  he  did,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  it  is 
the  spiritual  and  not  the  material  meaning  of  that  Advent 
which  he  impresses  on  his  hearers.  The  sure  coming  of  Christ 
is  not  a  substitute  for  struggle;  rather  it  is  an  incitement  to 
renewed  fidelity  and  endurance.  The  knowledge  of  his  coming 
is  to  provide  them  with  the  spiritual  assurance  which  they 
need  in  order  to  continue  to  be  faithful  unto  death.  That 
Christ  is  coming  is  the  message  of  Revelation  as  it  was 
of  the  Gospels.  Be  ye  therefore  ready,  faithful,  watching, 
waiting,  working,  struggling. 

In  this  sense  the  truth  of  the  coming  of  Christ  is  a  neces- 
sary part  of  the  equipment  of  Christ's  servants  to-day.  It 
is  a  mistake  to  banish  the  notion  of  the  second  coming  as  if 
it  were  a  remote  and  unpractical  truth,  lying  in  the  sphere 
of  speculation,  yet  having  no  message  for  us  to-day.  The 
Advent  hope,  on  the  contrary,  is  an  indispensable  part  of 
our  moral  equipment.  Without  it,  it  must  be  urged  at  the 
end  as  at  the  beginning  of  this  study,  we  are  bereft  of  a 
spiritual  assurance  which  is  precious  and  essential. 

It  is  possible,  however,  that  our  author  in  voicing  his  ex- 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  187 

pectation  of  the  coming  of  Christ  was  not  thinking  of  his 
visible  Advent,  or  imagining  that  the  end  of  the  world  was 
indeed  at  hand.  It  may  be  that  what  he  was  looking  for  was 
an  immediate  manifestation  of  Christ  in  history,  which  should 
show  itself  in  judgment  upon  Rome,  and  the  immediate  de- 
liverance of  Christian  believers  from  persecution  and  death. 
This  we  have  seen  to  be  the  theme  of  the  book  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  At  no  time  has  the  prophet  peered  into  the 
future.  Throughout,  he  has  focused  his  eyes  on  the  terrible 
emergency  of  the  present  hour.  No  single  passage  in  the 
book  taken  by  itself  contains  the  idea  of  the  bodily  return 
of  Christ.  The  whole  argument  of  it  moves  in  the  realm  of 
spiritual  ideas.  The  whole  point  of  it  is  that  deliverance  is 
at  hand;  and  that  this  deliverance  is  bound  up  with  the  per- 
son of  Christ.  When,  therefore,  at  the  end  the  author  says, 
"I  come  quickly,"  it  is  as  if  he  said,  "Salvation  is  at  hand; 
the  hour  of  victory  through  Christ  is  about  to  dawn."  In 
that  sense  the  words  were  literally  true,  and  in  that  sense 
they  were  literally  fulfilled.  Christ  came  in  judgment  upon 
Rome.  Christ  came  and  vindicated  his  cause.  There  will 
never  be  an  hour  in  history  when  the  coming  of  Christ  was 
so  evident  in  its  meaning  and  in  its  results  as  that  fateful 
hour  in  the  moral  history  of  the  world  when  into  the  hands 
of  Christ  there  passed  the  control  of  the  moral  destinies  of 
mankind.  It  did  not  come  in  the  life-time  of  the  prophet 
or  of  those  to  whom  he  wrote.  But  who  can  read  the  con- 
test between  Christ  and  Caesar  from  the  day  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus  to  that  of  the  triumph  of  Christianity  without  echoing 
in  wonderment  at  the  suddenness  of  that  transition,  the  words 
"Surely  I  come  quickly"? 

When  one  surveys  the  history  of  the  world  since  the  day 
when  this  book  was  written,  what  is  more  evident  than  the 
quick  coming  of  Christ  in  judgment  upon  the  world,  and  in 
vindication  of  his  truth?  How  quickly  that  revelation  has 
come  in  our  day!  Men  were  eating  and  drinking,  marrying 
and   playing,   working  and  traveling  in   entire  ignorance  of 


188  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 

what  was  "about  to  happen/'  in  the  year  of  grace  1914,  when 
without  warning  there  fell  upon  this  world  a  terrible  judg- 
ment, a  swift  and  awful  reckoning  such  as  it  had  never  known. 
In  an  hour,  thrones  crashed  to  the  dust,  and  institutions  that 
seemed  embedded  in  the  very  structure  of  society  crumbled 
into  nothingness.  The  social  message  of  this  book  tells  us 
that  such  swift  comings  of  Christ  in  judgment  are  a  part  of 
the  moral  order.  Upon  them  the  witnesses  of  Jesus  may  de- 
pend. Such  do  not  need  to  measure  their  hope  by  the  slow 
movements  of  time,  the  gradual  progress  of  the  age,  the  dis- 
appointing ebb  and  flow  of  popular  idealism.  Over  and  a.bove 
all  this  watching  and  guarding  his  cause  there  is  the  Divine 
Author  and  Reviewer  of  events.  At  any  moment  He  may 
appear  on  the  field  of  history  when  a  thousand  years  shall 
be  in  his  sight  as  one  day,  and  that  shall  be  brought  to  pass 
for  which  men  may  long  have  waited  and  yearned.  This  is 
the  social  message  of  the  reiterated  faith  in  the  sudden  com- 
ing of  Christ.  When  the  hour  is  darkest  and  hope  is  dim- 
mest, and  obstacles  seem  insuperable,  and  evil  is  triumphant, 
one  can  echo  the  sublime  words  with  which  the  book  closes. 

Surely  I  come  quickly.    Amen.    Even  so,  come  Lord  Jesus. 

Chapter  22:  6.  The  angel  assured  me  that  these  promises 
were  genuine  and  trustworthy,  and  that  they  would  soon 
be  fulfilled.  7.  Behold  (said  Christ  Himself),  I  come  quickly. 
Blessed  the  man  who  lays  this  prophecy  to  heart.  8.  I  my- 
self, John,  saw  and  heard  these  things.  And  again  I  felt 
like  worshipping  the  angel.  9.  But  again  he  restrained  me, 
saying,  I  am  but  a  servant  like  yourself  and  your  brothers 
who  lay  to  heart  the  sayings  of  this  book.  Worship  God 
alone.  10.  And  he  told  me  not  to  seal  the  book  for  it  must 
be  read  at  once.  The  time  is  near.  11.  Every  one  must 
not  keep  the  character  he  has  acquired:  unjust,  impure 
and  righteous  alike  will  remain  as  they  are,  12.  for  I  now 
come  to  reward  each  according  to  his  deeds.  13.  I  am  the 
beginning  and  the  end.  14,  15.  Blessed  are  they  that  are 
clean  and  pure  (R.  V.)  and  so  have  entrance  to  the  blessed- 
ness of  heaven  from  which  all  the  wicked  and  the  impure 
are  excluded.  16.  It  is  I,  Jesus,  who  have  sent  this  message 
to  my  churches  through  mine  own  angel:  I,  who  am  the 
promised   Messiah,   the   Morning  Star.     17.  Both  the   Spirit 


THE  BLESSED  CONSUMMATION  189 

and  the  church  bid  all  who  will  to  come  to  the  blessedness 
of  eternal  life.  18,  19.  Let  no  one  add  to  or  take  from  the 
words  of  this  book  lest  its  penalties  be  visited  upon  him, 
and  he  be  excluded  from  the  blessings  of  heaven.  20.  He 
who  bears  this  testimony  (Christ  the  real  author  of  this 
revelation)  says  once  more,  Surely  I  come  quickly.  And 
the  yearning  cry  of  his  servants  is  this:  Yea,  come,  Lord 
Jesus.  21.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with 
you  all,  Amen. 

Notes  v.  6  These  sayings,  i.e.  the  whole  message  of  the 
book,  although  the  immediate  reference  is  to  the  vision  pre- 
ceding. The  God  of  the  prophets,  i.e.  the  spirit  of  prophecy 
(See  19:10.  cf.  I  Cor.  14:32).  i.e.  the  divinely  inspired 
prophets.  God  controls  their  inspiration.  Thus  their  utter- 
ance is  true  and  final.  Angel  here  standing  for  every  form 
of  mediation  by  which  the  message  of  the  book  was  received. 
v.  7  As  if  Christ  Himself  spoke  in  the  angel.  The  Lord  speaks 
directly,  (cf.  Rev.  1:5.)  The  last  words  of  the  verse  may 
belong  to  the  apocalyptist.  Keep  means  lay  hold  on,  guard, 
lay  to  heart,  v.  8  assumes  that  John  was  well  known  to  them, 
v.  9  (see  19:10).  If  either  passage  is  an  interpolation,  it 
must  be  the  earlier  one.  It  seems  natural  here.  There  may 
be  intended  a  protest  against  angel-worship  (see  Col.  2:18). 
v.  10  See  Dan.  8 :26,  12 :4,  9,  where  the  book,  supposedly  writ- 
ten long  before  the  events  described,  is  to  be  sealed  in  order 
to  preserve  its  contents.  Just  the  opposite  is  the  case  here. 
v.  11  (see  Dan.  12 :10;  Ezek.  3 :27).  "There  is  a  tone  of  irony 
in  the  utterance"  (Beckwith).  v.  12  (see  Isa.  40:10,  62:11; 
I  Cor.  3:8;  Ps.  62:12).  v.  13  Added  to  give  solemn  assur- 
ance of  what  has  just  been  said.  This  is  the  language  used 
of  God  in  chapter  1,  but  applied  here  to  Christ.  This  in- 
terchange of  attributes  is  not  the  least  remarkable  feature 
of  the  book,  if  we  remember  that  the  author  was  a  Jew, 
writing  within  a  generation  of  the  death  of  Jesus,  v.  14 
The  better  reading  is  that  of  the  R.  V.  (cf.  I  Cor.  6:11.) 
v.  15  Dogs  (See  II  Kings  8:13;  Ps.  22:16,  20;  Phil.  3:2.)  v. 
16  Jesus  Used  to  emphasize  his  historic  character.  The  name 
is  used  fourteen  times  in  all  the  book,  and  almost  always 


190  SOCIAL  MESSAGE  OF  THE  BOOK  OF  EEVELATION 

in  connection  with  the  work  of  witnessing.  Churches  The 
seven  churches  are  meant.  Root  means  scion.  (Isa.  53:2, 
11:10;  Ecclesiasticus  47:22.)  Star  (cf.  Num.  24:17.  See 
2:28.)  v.  17  Spirit,  i.e.  speaking-  through  the  prophet; 
heareth,  all  who  hear  the  book  read  in  the  churches.  These 
will  join  in  the  prayer  for  the  Advent  of  Christ.  Then, 
thinking  of  these  hearers,  the  prophet  changes  his  thought 
abruptly  and  appeals  to  all  who  will  to  come  and  take  what 
Christ  has  to  offer  (cf.  13:9,  14:13).  vv.  18,  19  (cf.  Deut. 
4:2,  12:32;  Jer.  26:2).  This  message  must  be  received  by 
the  hearer  without  any  effort  to  change  its  meaning  or  to  evade 
its  consequences,  v.  20  He  who  testifieth  The  whole  con- 
tents of  the  book  is  meant,  v.  21  The  book  closes  with  the 
familiar  Pauline  benediction. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY 

Indispensable  to  a  study  of  the  Book  of  Revelation  are:  Ar- 
ticles in  Hastings'  Bible  Dictionary,  and  in  the  Encyclopedia 
Biblica;  The  Old  Testament  Apocrypha;  Introduction  to  the 
Literature  of  the  New  Testament  by  James  Moffatt  (Scribner's, 
1914) ;  The  Apocalypse  of  John  by  Isbon  T.  Beckwith  (MacMillan, 
1919);  The  Revelation  of  John,  by  Shirley  J.  Case  (University 
of  Chicago  Press,  1919)  ;  and  The  Messages  of  the  Apocalyptical 
Writers  by  Frank  C.  Porter   (Scribner's,  1909). 

Helpful  books  of  reference  are:  Robert  H.  Charles'  Apocrypha 
and  Pseudepigrapha  (Oxford  Press,  1913);  William  M.  Ramsay's 
St.  Paul  the  Traveler  and  the  Roman  Citizen  (London,  1896)  and 
especially  The  Letters  to  the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia  (Armstrong, 
1905) ;  The  Revelation  of  St.  John,  the  Divine,  in  the  Expositor's 
Greek  Testament  (New  York,  vol.  V,  pp.  279-494)  ;  The  Book  of 
Revelation  by  John  T.  Dean  (Edinburgh,  1915)  ;  and  C.  Anderson 
Scott's  The  Book  of  Revelation  (New  Century  Bible,  New  York, 
1902).  A  helpful  devotional  study  of  the  book  is  John  T.  Dean's 
Visions  and  Revelations  (Edinburgh,  1911).  See  also  Frederic 
Palmer,  The  Drama  of  the  Apocalypse  (MacMillan,  1903)  and 
Shirley  J.  Case,  The  Millennial  Hope  (University  of  Chicago  Press, 
1918).  For  fuller  bibliographical  notes  see  Porter  pp.  359-363, 
and  Case,  The  Revelation  of  John,  pp.  408,  409. 


Date  Due 


BS2825.C155 

The  social  message  of  the  book  of 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00034  0473 


